The Tale of The Magic Prince
by Lord Wolfe
Summary: The tale of the Magic Prince, the one folk tale her father never finished before he died. Kagome set out to a distant land to find the origin of the fairy tale. She never expected the story to turn out to be true and that the fabled Prince was actually a magically empowered tyrant that uses transfiguration to rule his people. Can she reach his hate filled heart? AU story.
1. Chapter1: The True Prince

_The Magic Prince_

 _There once was a king who was adored and respected by all in his lands. He ruled his people fairly and with compassion for all. One day the king fell in love with a lovely and kind travelling sorceress. The woman was as powerful as she was beautiful, and after they were married the people learned to adore her as much as the king. A couple of years later the king and queen had their first and only child, a beautiful boy that would become the prince of the kingdom._

 _As the baby became a child it was discovered that due to his mother being an_ _vastly_ _powerful sorceress, he too possessed a unique and powerful ability that dwarfed hers in comparison. The child could alter things around him into whatever he wanted. At first the prince's power only effected inanimate objects, but was still considered amazing. He could turn a pen into a fork, or a sword into a feather and his power grew every year. When the prince became a teenager his powers blossomed and he discovered that his abilities could effect and alter living things as well; plants animals, and even people, he could alter them all to whatever he wanted, like an artist with a wad of clay. With his creativity and vast imagination he learned how to alter people to where he could improve upon their features and make them beautiful. Soon hundreds of people flocked to the kingdom to visit and have the magical prince make them into beautiful works of art; nobles were the first, and then commoners and soon the rest of the people followed._

 _But all was not well when the prince reached adulthood. It was at this time that the king had fallen ill with a terrible disease that even the queen's magic couldn't fix, and with his dying breath the king told his son to look after the kingdom and make the people happy. So that's what the prince did, whoever came to the castle wanting to be bestowed with his power and made to look lovely, he would grant it to them, molding the men, women, children and even the trees and flowers in the land into ecstatic beauty._

 _However as the years passed the prince started to grow bitter from all the selfish people coming to him wanting beauty bestowed on to them, and it wasn't long before their greed and vanity began to generally disgust him to the point where he stopped granting their requests. The people were shocked that the once happy and generous prince had become cold and indifferent to their requests to be changed. It got to the point where they would beg on their knees to have the prince make them beautiful, but the prince was so repulsed and fed up with these people that instead of making them lovely, he transfigured them into horrible, disgusting and nightmarish beasts. The people were shocked by the ugly monsters they were turned into and begged the prince to change them back, but he consistently refused. It wasn't just them, but even the forests and lands were transformed into twisted nightmarish visions, a reflection of the prince's hatred and anguish._

 _So the people went about their daily lives in the kingdom as horrific beasts and monsters, never truly learning their lesson. The prince remained in solitude and seclusion in the castle, no one never came to him anymore for requests to be magically altered after what he turned the people into, and even his mother had left him after he refused to undo this supposed punishment on the citizens. The prince was completely alone and his bitterness, his disdain for the people in this world and everything beautiful grew even more._

 _Five years later the people having believed they suffered enough came to the prince, whom no one had seen for all those years, to see if his heart had changed for the better. They dragged their writhing and horrifically distorted bodies up the steps of the castle and requested an audience with the prince. The beast-like people were led into the court yard where the prince stood on the balcony clad in a black hooded cloak and bandages covering his face leaving only his yellow eyes staring down at them. They begged the magically gifted prince to change them back to what they once were, but the prince made a deal with his people instead. He would change them back to their normal forms they had before he ever altered them in exchange for the years of servitude under him. The people having no better option agreed and began their lives in service of their overlord and like he promised every year he would slowly reverse the transformations little by little for their work. No one ever saw the prince's face for he always kept it hidden, it was rumored that he used his powers on his own appearance, but as for why he kept what he looked like secret was a mystery and it remained that way for many years._

Kagome closed the book she was reading, it was a book of folk tales her father had written. This specific tale called The Magic Prince was never finished. Her father passed away before he finished this book, but this story Kagome remembered was left unfinished on purpose. She always asked her dad why when she was a little girl and he told it to her before bed, but he said he didn't know why the story didn't have an ending. Maybe the people that made it up didn't know where to go from there, maybe the story doesn't need an ending and is just a cautionary tale about vanity, or maybe the magical prince was still alive and the story was still going, her dad would often say, which was a ridiculous excuse she realized when she got older and figured out there was no such prince.

After her father died, Kagome decided she would finish the book for him in his memory. That way other people could read her father's genius writings and his final work. Her father was a writer, a very famous writer in this country, everybody enjoyed his works of fiction. This book he was working on entitled Magical Folk Tales was his most recent work, an anthology of folk stories and fairy tales from other countries. After some research and going through her father's notebooks and journals from his travels Kagome figured out where this particular story of the Magic Prince originated from and was traveling to that country to find out how the rest of the story goes so she can finish the book for her dad.

She arrived by train to the old lands of Jutaria, to a rather large village town called Arinstar. She decided to check into an inn before conducting research; Kagome's best bet would the local library.

LATER

Kagome sat at the table in the library wanting to pull her hair out in frustration. She found several books with several different variations of the story of the Magic Prince, mostly in title and in language, but each and every one left off in the same exact place. It's like no one even bothered to finish the legend.

"Did you find everything you needed dear?" the old woman who owned the old library asked.

"No not quite", Kagome sighed.

"You were looking for the story of the Magic Prince correct, well I think I know where it original came from", the old lady said pulling out an old map of the country.

"I don't understand, I thought the story came from these lands?" Kagome looked at the old weathered map on the table.

"Yes, but at one time the country of Jutaria was divided into four countries, Latenaria, Vastorion, Sistoria, and Lunaria. Now the country of Lunaria, known for its long moonlit nights, was where the story originated from before it spread to the other kingdoms and a century later all countries were united under Jutaria", the woman explained in a brief history lesson.

"So where would this Lunaria have once been?" Kagome asked.

"Well it would have made up the north quadrant of Jutaria, however there is one territory of Lunaria that was never assimilated into Jutaria", she said.

"Why is that?" Kagome looked up from the map.

"Well that region is very difficult to get into because of the terrain is so treacherous, but not only that the weather became so terrible that no one ever visits the villages there", the old woman pointed to the location on the map.

"There are people still living there?"

"Oh of course, no one has ever left that place and no one ever goes in there. That's the town the story of the Magic Prince came from", the elderly woman smiled.

"Wait a minute, if no one ever leaves or goes there, then how did the story get out?" Kagome looked at her skeptically.

"At one time people did come and go, but due to the terrain suddenly changed because of the quakes and the terrible weather that followed no one does now, some of the people that left the region before that occurred took the story with them", she explained.

"Can I draw a copy of this map?" Kagome asked getting that adventurous look in her eyes.

"You can keep that map dear, and take this other one too, it was made by someone who tried to map the dangerous terrain, it may be of some help to you", she said giving her another rolled up map.

"Thank you Misses Izayoi", Kagome said gathering her notes and putting them in her bag along with the maps.

"It's no trouble dear, just make sure to dress warm for the north", the old lady said, walking her out the door.

"I will!" Kagome called walking down the steps.

'Maybe you can change his heart', Izayoi thought before closing the door.

THREE DAYS LATER

"This is awful", Kagome thought riding her female black horse named Rin. Kagome found her the young mare at the village that would be her final stop before she made her way into the dangerous Northern region of what was once Lunaria. She was the cutest horse Kagome had ever seen, it didn't take long to buy her and the two of them bonded almost instantly. Now they headed up the abandoned trail while getting pelted by the icy wind and snow.

"How you holding up Rin?" she asked her horse, petting her neck. The horse made a light noise in response.

"Yeah I'm cold too", Kagome said back, she buried herself deeper into her white fur coat. She had even bought a fur blanket to put over Rin. After many long hours and several rest stops they finally made it through the chaotic mess called a terrain. What was odd to Kagome was that the rocks and boulders looked too deliberate to be from a quake, it almost looked like someone did it on purpose. It seemed like forever traveling through the snow when Kagome spotted a light in the distance. She sped up until she could see multiple lights emanating from a large town, upon reaching the edge she dismounted her horse and walked along the streets looking for a place to stay.

Kagome found what looked like an inn, so she tied Rin to a pole outside and walked through the front door, but was completely unprepared for what she would see inside. The room was filled with strange bizarre looking creatures of all shapes and sizes, all sitting around the tables talking and eating like normal people. Some people looked like they were crossed with some animals with the ears tales and furs, while some looked like hideous ogres and trolls straight out of the fairytales. They all stopped and turned to look at her with shock and surprise, a normal pretty human girl would of course catch their attention. Kagome stood frozen in disbelief as they stared and began to whisper about her.

"Who the hell is she?"

"I'd almost forgotten what a human looks like"

"She must be a traveler"

"Does his Highness Know?"

"She looks foreign"

"She won't look so pretty if his Highness gets ahold of her"

"Can I help you miss?" a young man with deer hooves for feet and antlers asked approaching Kagome.

"W-what is this?" Kagome stuttered pointing at the crowd.

"Well that's just the people of Lunaria for you", he shrugged.

"But how, why, what!?" Kagome couldn't believe this.

"To answer your questions we were not always like this, and this is our punishment", he explained like he was talking about the weather making her realize that these people must have been like this for a long time.

"Who would do this to you all", Kagome followed the man to the counter ignoring the curious gaze from the creatures of the inn.

"This was all the design of our lord and master Prince Inuyasha, he rules over this land and all who inhabit it", he explained. "Now would you like to stay the night miss?"

"My name is Kagome and yes. Are you telling me the story about the Magic Prince is true?" she asked.

"Story?"

"I came here because my father was writing a book before he died and he included that story in his work, but it was unfinished so I came here looking for how it ended", Kagome explained.

"Well I don't know how that became a story for the people in the outside world, but to us it's our history, not a legend", the young deer man handed Kagome a key. "Here first night's free, as you can imagine we don't get any travelers", he chuckled rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"What about my horse outside?" Kagome said.

"I'll personally make sure it's put in a warm stable tonight", he smiled reassuringly at her.

"Thank you very much", Kagome smiled back taking the key to her room. When she arrived in her room she unpacked a few things taking off her coat and opening up her journal writing down her thoughts on this town. She wrote all of what she had discovered, but also how nice the people seemed to be despite the predicament they have been in for who knows how many years. Kagome wrote about how cruel this prince named Inuyasha must be to do this to his own people.

'You were right dad, this story is still going', were her finally thoughts before she decided to lie down and sleep away this exhaustion.

ELSEWHERE

In the large castle that sat above the town, in the darkened throne room lit only by a few lanterns, a lone figure sat on a throne that faced the large glass wall that overlooked the town.

"Are you awake your Highness?", a man dressed in a dark fur kilt, black cape and armor covering his chest forearms and legs asked. He also had long dark brown hair tied in a loose tail, matching wolf ears on his head and light blue eyes.

"Yes of course I am Koga", the lord said.

"You should really get some rest sir, if I may be so bold. This lack of sleep isn't good for your health", Koga said concerned for his lord.

"Have you ever seen me get sick Koga?" the man spoke sarcastically in a cold voice. Koga could only see the back of the throne and the clawed white sleeved hand on the armrest.

"No milord", Koga chuckled despite his ruler's icy tone. "By the way I came to tell you our land has a little visitor".

"Speak clearly wolf"

"A young human woman to be exact, she apparently wandered into town"

"And you didn't tell the pack to drive her away?" the lord asked dangerously.

"She was no threat, she was completely unarmed too, I saw no reason to drive her away", Koga shrugged.

"Then you might be a blind fool. Everything in these lands is mine to control, I didn't give her permission to enter and that's as good a crime as any", he spoke darkly. "Go to the town tomorrow morning, find the girl and bring her to me, so I can decide her fate", he commanded

"As you wish, Lord Inuyasha", and with that Koga left to get some sleep before the hunt tomorrow, he just hoped the lord wasn't too hard on her when he brought her in.

THE NEXT DAY

Kagome sat in the tub enjoying the hot water bathe. The people here despite most of them looking like monsters or animals were surprisingly kind to her. It made her wonder how long it's been since they've seen a human being around, maybe that was why they treated her so well.

Outside the deer antlered manager of the inn was arguing with the commander of the wolf pack and leader of the royal guard Koga.

"His highness wants her brought before him, you and I both know the consequences for disobeying him", the wolf said.

"Please, can't Lord Inuyasha consider just letting her leave in peace, she's done nothing wrong", the boy pleaded.

"I know she hasn't, but I have my orders. I'll see to it that's she'll be safe no matter what his Highness does to her", Koga said storming past the deer. Kagome was startled when a man came barging in while she bathed wearing fur, armor and a cape. Koga blushed for a moment seeing the beautiful naked and quickly averted his eyes out of respect.

"My apologies miss, but his Highness Lord Inuyasha has commanded me to bring you to him, please get dressed and be prepared to leave", the wolf man spoke cherry faced walking out the door. Kagome was shocked to know that she would be meeting the fabled magic prince so soon. She quickly got out of the warm bathe water and dried off. Wrapping the towel around her body she headed back to her room and slipped some clean clothes on, grabbing her coat and a small bag that carried her journal, maps and notes. Kagome headed down stairs where she saw the man that walked in on her bathe waiting for her at the door.

"Good morning I'm Koga, head of the royal guard of Lunaria, pleasure to meet you", he bowed quickly. Kagome noticed the dark wolf ears and tale and realized he must be affected by the same magic that transformed the citizens.

"I'm Kagome", she introduced politely, he had been cordial, and so she would be the same.

"I'm sorry for this, but Lord Inuyasha has commanded I bring you to him", he said sadly almost like he didn't want to do this.

"May I ask why", Kagome wondered why the prince would want to meet her.

"I would rather not say, just come along with me please", he headed outside and Kagome followed curiosity peaked. Following Koga down the stone streets she noticed they were meeting up with a group of armored soldiers dressed similar to the commander, they all even had wolf ears and tales like him. Kagome also noticed one of them had her horse Rin.

"Hey girl, are you alright?" Kagome asked patting the side of the black mare, Rin just grunted in response.

"We have nicer stables up at the castle, now let's get moving", Koga ordered while Kagome got on her horse and the two were led down the main stone street that led up to the castle. She noticed that the sky was completely overcast today, like it might rain. Upon arriving at the castle Kagome was awed with how big it was, although the architecture was bizarre. The palace had a gothic style with arches, gargoyles and tall glass windows, but was very asymmetrical and disproportional in some areas making it look kind of frightening. Kagome and her horse were led through the big red double doors and down the many high ceiling corridors. They approached a set of large black intricately carved wooden doors where Kagome got off of Rin and waited as Koga told her while he went inside. Kagome waited patiently a little nervous now that she got here in the castle, she wondered what the prince was like. Would he be kind or mean to her? What did he look like?

"Hey I haven't seen you before", a voice said interrupting her thoughts. Kagome turned around to see a small boy with red hair tied in a bun, green eyes, big for ears on his head and two red fox tails. The boy was dressed in dark green robes, he didn't wear any shoes, revealing his paw-like feet. He stared up at her fascinated by her appearance. "How come you don't look like the rest of us?"

"Hi I just came to this town, my name's Kagome", she said leaning down to look at the adorable child.

"Oh so you're new here, that figures. I'm Shippou, nice to meet you lady", the boy said examining her up and down.

"Hey Shippou, can you tell about those guards that brought me here? "She asked wanting more information to add to the story.

"You mean the wolf pack? Well for starters they were not humans to begin with; at least that's what I was told", Shippou said eyes roaming over the horse besides Kagome.

"Really?"

"Yeah, they were a large pack of wolves that lived in the forests around the town, Lord Inuyasha turned their alpha leader into that humanoid form and made some sort of arrangement with him, now they're all his soldiers, they guard and police the town", the fox boy explained.

"What's this Lord Inuyasha like?" Kagome finally asked, she would meet him soon, but wanted an idea of what she was in for.

"Best way to describe him would be with a riddle. How is Lord Inuyasha Like a Typhoon?" Shippou asked with a grin.

"I don't know", Kagome played along.

"Both are powerful, cruel, indiscriminately destructive, but the typhoon doesn't mean to be", the boy's smile dropped into a frown at that last part.

"Is he really that awful?" Kagome's anxiety grew with each passing second.

"Anyone who curses his own people like this has to be a cruel monster", Shippou argued.

"We got what we deserved", a new voice spoke, Kagome turned to see and old woman hunched over walked towards them. Her wrinkled skin looked like it was made from wood and her hair was like moss, she also appeared to be missing an eye.

"Hello miss my name is Kaede", the tree lady said.

"Hi I'm Kagome", she introduced herself, Kagome was starting to get used to the bizarre creatures the citizens were transfigured into.

"What do you mean we got what we deserved?" Shippou asked angered.

"It was my parents and all of them back then, my generation that pushed his highness and made him the way he is now. Our despicable vanity is what cursed us all", Kaede explained.

"I didn't do anything, I was born into this curse like many other good people here, his highness is just crazy and cold hearted", Shippou defended.

"You should be careful how you speak Shippou", Koga said appearing from the throne room. "You don't want his highness to punish you again", the fox boy shut his mouth at that.

"Alright Kagome come inside", the guards held the door open for her and Rin to walk through. "Word to the wise, don't mention anything about his appearance", the wolf commander whispered into her ear. Kagome slowly approached the large throne that was faced away from her towards the large glass wall that overlooked the town. A flash of lightning brightened the dimly lit room for a moment followed by thunder crashing in the distance. A pale clawed hand reached out from the left side and began to lazily twirl his finger in the air. Kagome couldn't help but notice the dark clouds outside began to churn and twist with the lord's motioning finger.

"I'm sending a hail storm to the outer villages below, they failed to complete the harvest. Koga make sure they are told that", the prince said flicking his finger and sending the storm towards his target.

'He can control the weather too', Kagome thought nervously, glancing from the back of the throne to the commander of the guard noticing how he wasn't going to say anything about attacking people with a hail storm.

"Excuse me your Highness, but doesn't that seem a little mean?" Kagome finally spoke as politely as she could after swallowing the lump in her throat. Koga looked at her like she just grew a second head, which could very well possibly happen with how she just questioned his lord. Slowly the throne began to rotate until it was completely facing her and Kagome could finally get a good look at this magic prince. Unfortunately it was not meant to be as the prince wore white and red loose robes with a hood that shrouded his face in shadows, the front was left slightly open revealing the bandages that covered his chest all the way up his neck and face. The only thing Kagome could see were the big golden yellow eyes staring into her chocolate brown ones filled with so much hate and disdain.

"Interesting how a trespasser thinks she has the right to tell me how to rule my subjects", he mused dryly.

"Maybe you don't have the right to treat them like this", Kagome said not one to back down from an argument especially when she believed she was right. She mentally kicked herself for being so stupid right now. The lord rested the side of his cloaked head on his knuckles, Kagome wasn't sure if that meant he was either amused or pissed.

"Leave us", he said dismissing his commander. Koga glanced at her worriedly one last time before walking out the main doors. Kagome stood there stock still and intimidated by Lord Inuyasha's powerful gaze. "What is your name woman?" he asked startling her.

"K-Kagome Higurashi, your Highness", she gave a quick bow respectfully, best not to piss him off more than she already has.

"Why have you trespassed on my lands?" the lord asked.

"Well I was just passing through", Kagome said calmly.

"Don't lie to me, nobody simply passes through here. I made the terrain specifically, so I know the only someone person who would come would be someone who seeks this kingdom. I'll ask you again Kagome Higurashi why are you here?" he spoke louder this time.

"Forgive me your highness, but I came looking for a story", Kagome spoke the truth this time.

"Story?" Lord Inuyasha's eyes looked interested for but a moment. Kagome smiled and reached into her bag and pulled out her father's notebook containing all his work on his new book before he died. She flipped open to the story of the Magic Prince and walked over to the throne handing it to him. Lord Inuyasha read the story that was based off is very life and history. He looked a bit intrigued as his eyes scanned the pages before his eyes hardened back to their normal state.

"So this is what I've become to the outside world, a simple fable", he said distastefully while slamming the book closed. He then tossed the book at her feet. Kagome quickly picked it up carefully, this was her only copy, sure there was all of her dad's research back home, she could easily rewrite the book, but this notebook belonged to her dad and was more of a keep-sake than a notebook.

"I came just wanting to finish the story", Kagome said putting the book in her bag. "If I could just have some time with your people, I could get enough information and then I'll leave for good".

"No I'm afraid you won't be leaving anytime soon. If you want the information then you'll have to work for it. It's your choice, you can work here in the castle or out in the crops", Lord Inuyasha didn't plan on giving any information for free. "You work for me now, and when I've decided you've earned it then you can have your precious story", he spat with disgust. Kagome just looked shock at his disrespect and cold attitude, she had never met anyone so nasty in all her life.

"How can you be so, so…cruel!?" Kagome shouted at him having enough with his despicable attitude. Inuyasha just glared daggers at her while the tension in the room increased tenfold.

"Cruel am I, no I'll show you what cruel is", he raised his hand as it glowed a bright green before shooting magical bolts from his fingertips. The target was not Kagome however instead it was her horse Rin that came in with her. Kagome stood watching horrified as the magical energy engulfed Rin, she screamed and cried as her body was lifted into the air by Lord Inuyasha's magic, the green bolts continued to fire upon her.

"Stop it", Kagome pleaded watching her horse being attacked.

"Stop", Inuyasha continued.

"STOP IT!" the magic finally ceased leaving a cloud of smoke where Kagome's horse once stood. She felt like crying after seeing the horse that she cared for magically tortured and destroyed when a noise caught her attention. The smoke cleared revealing a little girl with messy black hair unclothed sitting on the floor. The girl had black horse ears on her head revealing her identity.

"Rin is that you?" Kagome looked down in awe, before Rin could even speak Lord Inuyasha cleared his throat.

"Kaede get in here!" he ordered, the tree-like woman Kagome met earlier came hobbling in.

"Yes my lord", the old woman bowed.

"Take the little one, get her some clothes and put her to work in the castle, preferably somewhere far from this her", he said pointing at Kagome. Kaede picked up the girl quickly covering her exposed body with her apron and leaving Kagome with Lord Inuyasha alone.

"And as for you, I think I have the perfect job", she could almost see his eyes smirking at her and had to suppress a nervous dry swallow. "You will be my personal servant and maid".

* * *

 **This was a little idea I had awhile back, I worked on it little by little. I actually forgot I had this until recently.**

 **It was sort of based off a project from my creative writing class years ago, the idea was to create your own fairy tale. Mine was sort of like a reverse of Beauty and the Beast, the whole idea about inner beauty. If anyone would like me to continue this let me know via reviews if you like it. Also Sesshomaru is not going to be in this story, as much as I like him I couldn't make him fit in this one, since Prince Inuyasha is an only child in his back story.**

 **Originally I was going to have Sess be the magic prince, but the character eventually changes his personality to be more kind later down the road, so I couldn't see him do a 180 with the way he is. Also I'm such a huge fan of the Inu X Kagome pairing that its difficult to deviate from that.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter2: What Is Expected of You

**What Is Expected of You**

The first day of her new job was pure hell. Kagome had no idea how to perform her new duties or what they even were. Lord Inuyasha said she would be his personal assistant, but she had no idea what that entailed. She found herself wondering how she ended up in this situation, held captive by a prince who was gifted with unlimited magical power and used that power to subjugate his people by transfiguring them. Kagome cursed her own curiosity and wished that she just left the story her father wrote unfinished, she wanted nothing more than to go home, but she would just have to bide her time and look for a way to escape. She also had to get her horse Rin out of here despite her recent transformation.

Right now she was walking through the castle carrying a bundle of sheets from Lord Inuyasha's bedroom. Kagome was told she had to take these sheets to be washed in the cleaning chamber and then pick them up later tonight. The problem was she had no idea where that was in the castle. Kagome got bold again and tried to ask his royal highness where to take the sheets, but he just rudely brushed her off saying that it was her problem to deal with.

"You look a little lost there, Kagome", Shippou the fox boy appeared poking his head out from around the corner.

"Oh Shippou it's you. You wouldn't perhaps know where to take the laundry to be cleaned?" Kagome was so relieved to see a familiar face.

"Lord Inuyasha didn't tell you, did he?" Kagome just shook her head. "What a jerk. Alright follow me". Shippou led her down the many corridors of the castle. All the while he kept skipping around her staring at her body. "So, what did he turn you into? Do you have a tail, animal ears, what about your legs?" he asked trying to lift up her white skirt she was forced to wear.

"He didn't do anything like that to me", she said smacking his hand away.

"What! Why not?" that was unheard of to Shippou, that someone would get off scot free from being transfigured.

"I don't know, but he turned my horse into a little girl and he won't let me see her", Kagome explained, it wasn't like her words and actions went completely unpunished.

"But still, I can't believe he left you the way you are", Shippou led her to a room where a group of servants all transfigured in different ways were washing clothes and sheets. She dropped the bundle she carried in a special bin that was designated for Lord Inuyasha.

"Alright I got to go, but to get to the throne room where his highness is just turn around and make a left where you'll wind up in the main corridor, it leads directly to the throne room remember that in the future", Shippou instructed her, Kagome gave him a quick thanks and he left his fluffy tail flicking about as he walked. She followed the fox kid's advice and soon found herself in the throne room where the old tree woman Kaede was picking up the breakfast tray his highness had just finished.

"You are late girl", Lord Inuyasha said coldly setting his morning tea on a small table next to his throne. Kagome couldn't see him as the large intimidating chair was once again facing away from her towards the large glass wall that overlooked the town below.

"I'm sorry your highness, I got lost", she said the second part through clenched teeth, after all it was his fault she didn't know her way around the castle.

"You'll have plenty of time to get used to the layout of the castle", he took another sip of his tea and placed the porcelain cup on the tray Kaede held up. The old woman gave Kagome a reassuring smile and left the two of them alone. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence Lord Inuyasha sighed and his throne rotated around to face her. He was once again wearing a white robed cloak and matching pants, and his face and neck was again covered in white strips of fabric like a mummy with just his eyes left open and a small slit for his mouth to drink. Kagome felt nervous as she was once again subjected to his icy gaze, especially in the outfit she was required to wear. She had to wear this all white maid uniform, complete with a skirt, long sleeves, hat, shoes and stockings. Her hair was also tied in a loose tail, the whole getup was a little awkward to wear at first.

"I do realize that I have not told you what duties are required of you yet", he spoke resting his masked face on his knuckles while Kagome remained silent. "Pay attention, I'll only go over this once. In the mornings you will wake up at sunrise to draw the bath for me, you don't need to attend to me while I bathe, just make sure the pool is filled with warm water when I wake", he paused to make sure she was listening before continuing. "While I'm in the bath you will leave an outfit for me to wear on the table next to the pool, my wardrobe is mostly what I wear now so just pick one and leave me to dress. After I'm fully garbed you take the towels and bed sheets to the laundry staff to be cleaned, you will then return to my room, you will empty and clean the pool and make my bed. I expect my room perfectly clean an organized when I return to it later", Inuyasha glared down at her to make sure she got all of that, meanwhile Kagome was doing her best to process everything.

"Once that is done you will come here to the throne room for the days errands and other orders I have for you. I expect you here when Kaede brings me my breakfast. Do you understand girl?" he asked her.

"Yes your highness I got all that", she smiled up at him proud of her ability to remember all that easily.

"Now when the sun sets I prefer to be alone after dinner, so you can consider that time off unless ordered otherwise", Lord Inuyasha then stood up out of his throne and began to walk towards the double doors. "Now follow me to the office, keep your eyes open and mouth shut", he commanded as the doors were held open by two servants. Kagome did as he was told, instead of getting all angry at him ordering her around she took the time to try and memorize the corridors and chambers they walked down in. They soon reached another set of intricately carved double doors, two more guards appeared and held the doors open for them. Kagome marveled at the spacious office, there were so many books on the shelves that she wanted to grab and look at, but had to suppress the urge. A big wooden ornate desk sat in front of a fireplace with stacks of papers and writing utensils atop it. Lord Inuyasha sat down in the dark red wooden chair with black silk cushions.

"I'll let any screw ups slide for today and tomorrow, but after that I expect you to get your act together, no excuses", Inuyasha took out a piece of blank paper and pen to write a letter. Once he was finished he folded the paper and handed it to Kagome. "Go to the kitchen and give this to the head of the cooking staff Kaede, you can handle that right?"

"Yes your highness", Kagome bowed respectfully, choose your battles they say. "May I ask something?"

"What is it girl?" Inuyasha continued to sift through documents not even looking at her.

"Why wasn't I transfigured like all the rest of the people in the kingdom?" Kagome finally asked the question that had been bothering her ever since Shippou brought it to her attention. Lord Inuyasha stopped what he was doing to glare venomously at her.

"Don't ever ask stupid questions like that again, now get to work. Come back when you've delivered the letter", and with that he returned to whatever he was doing leaving Kagome to wonder what his deal was. Finding the kitchen didn't take as long as she thought, Kagome just followed the servants that were carrying empty food trays, they led her right to her destination. The kitchen was busy, breakfast had been served and now they were starting on lunch. Kagome walked up to a dark haired woman with six arms and the lower body of a centipede cooking multiple things at once on the stove.

"Excuse me I have a letter for Kaede", Kagome spoke politely watching the centipede woman work.

"Don't have time for this new girl", she dismissed Kagome with a wave of one of her hands.

"It's from Lord Inuyasha", Kagome said this time with a bit more attitude.

"Why didn't you say so, she's over there", the centipede woman pointed across the kitchen with a wooden spoon.

"Thank you", Kagome smiled and walked over to the tree woman known as Kaede.

"Kagome dear you look well. How are you fairing at your position?" the old woman asked working on flattening wads of dough with a roller.

"Fine I guess for someone getting treated like a trained dog", Kagome said sarcastically.

"That's just Lord Inuyasha's rather bleak disposition you'll have to put up with it I'm afraid. Just remember he tries to be fair and reasonable most of the time", Kaede spoke warmly handing Kagome a freshly made bread roll.

"Thank you so much", Kagome took the food and ate it quickly. "I was so nervous this morning I couldn't eat".

"Happy to be of assistance my dear", Kagome gave her the letter and headed back to Inuyasha's office. Throughout the day Lord Inuyasha had her delivering more letters and envelopes to other important members of the staff. The rest of her duties consisted of standing in his office pouring him his tea when he ordered and grabbing whatever books he needed. That wasn't so bad if she could just get used to his cold attitude and bitter demeanor, it was like serving a cranky old man. Lunch was delivered and Kagome was ordered to wait outside while he ate mainly because eating required him taking off the clothe strip wrapped around the lower half of his face. Kagome had yet to figure out what he looked like, she tried looking around for family portraits, she thought castles had those, but there were none to be found.

Later after dinner, true to his word, Lord Inuyasha ordered Kagome to leave him. He really did prefer to be alone in the evenings. So she spent the rest of her time wandering about the castle attempting to familiarize herself with the grand palace. Kagome was eventually found by Kaede who took her to a sort of mess hall for the servants and guards where she was reunited with Rin.

"How are you Rin?" Kagome asked sitting next to the dark haired little girl taking a sip form her soup.

"I'm fine Kagome, it's a little weird walking around on two legs instead of four, but my new friends are helping me get used to it", Rin smiled taking a bite from her dinner. Kagome learned that Rin was put to work with the seamstresses making clothes and blankets. She picked it up surprisingly well, the head of the sewing staff Kagura was nice and understanding to her. The woman was a similar case to Rin, as she was once an eagle before she was given a humanoid form by Lord Inuyasha, she knew how tricky it was adjusting to this new body. Kagome also learned from talking to the other staff members that she was the first personal servant Lord Inuyasha ever had. The duties she was assigned to were normally handled by two or three servants on a weekly rotating schedule. It made her wonder why he wanted her to be the one to do all this.

* * *

The next morning Kagome woke up on the crack of dawn with renewed vigor. She vowed she would do her job perfectly and hopefully impress Lord Inuyasha, maybe that would show him. Passive aggression usually worked well in her past relationships, plus her mother always told her to kill them with kindness. After eating her delivered breakfast Kagome dressed in her assigned maid outfit and headed straight for his highness's personal wing. First thing she did was head to the bath located right next to his bedroom. Kagome took only a second to examine the spacious beautiful room, the white tiled floor and lovely fixtures seemed odd for someone like Inuyasha. She quickly turned several faucets filling up the pool with hot steaming water, Kagome also noticed another set of doors that she realized must have led to Inuyasha's bedroom. She hurried out the door she came through and waited patiently for the sound of the other door opening signaling that his highness was awake and headed into the bath so she could carry out the rest of her duties that she was assigned.

When she heard the door open and close she smiled and headed to the bedroom door and opened it. The first time Kagome was here she didn't get the chance to look around, but now that she had more time she could take in the royal furnishings and humongous sized bed. The floor was made from shiny black tiles and the ceiling was a giant painting of celestial bodies and a depiction of a lion swallowing the sun. Kagome walked over to the closet and stepped inside, just as Inuyasha said all his outfits were pretty much the same, hooded robes of different colors and patterns. She picked out a red one since she had yet to see him where anything colorful and thought it might make him look more approachable. She grabbed a pair of baggy matching pants and black flat shoes to take into the bathroom.

Kagome quietly stepped into the bath and placed the clothes on the table. Her eyes glanced around and finally landed on the figure in the pool. Inuyasha sat in the water up to his waist, back against the edge, head tilted down, and water dripping from his pale skin. Kagome could admire his lean build, but she really just wanted to get a look at his face. Unfortunately his long shimmering white wet hair was covering his downturned face like a curtain.

"Didn't I tell you to get the sheets", Kagome was startled by his icy voice. She quickly apologized and left the bath to get the used sheets and blankets off the bed. A few minutes later he stepped through the doors fully dressed, face covered tightly in white strips of fabric.

"You had to pick such a gaudy color girl", Lord Inuyasha complained.

"I think that red suits you, your highness", Kagome smiled cheerfully at him. He just grunted as a response before leaving her in his room.

"I guess he's not much of a morning person", Kagome chuckled to herself. She decided she could save time if she cleaned the bedroom and bath first and then drop the laundry off. Kagome appeared in the throne room a few minutes before Lord Inuyasha's breakfast arrived.

"You're early girl, I'm surprised", he commented dryly.

"Just trying to please you you're highness", Kagome bowed with as much sweetness in her voice as possible.

"Then it would please me if you stopped trying to suck up to me", Inuyasha said stoically. Kagome didn't say anything more and just waited till he finished eating. When they got to his office she saw that the commander of the guard Koga was sitting on one of the couches.

"Ah Kagome you look good", Koga commented making her blush.

"Thank you sir", Kagome bowed politely.

"That's certainly a cute maid outfit, was that your idea your highness?" the wolf smirked looking over at Lord Inuyasha who glanced up from the desk not even bothering to answer him.

"Go to the library Kagome, ask Kanna for last month's crop records", he ordered, both men watched Kagome hurry out the double doors. The two of them sat there silently, just the ticking of the clock could be heard between them.

"May I speak to you as your friend my lord?" Koga asked sitting up straight on the couch.

"Yes of course you can", Inuyasha stopped writing to listen to the commander of his army.

"Why didn't you transfigure Kagome? You transfigured everyone, even the children once the reach age three, not only that but you made the girl your personal servant which you've never had by the way. This all just seems so out of character for you", for the first time he wasn't sure what was going through his friend's head. Inuyasha remained silent for a bit at Koga's question as he gathered his thoughts on the matter.

"Difficult question, not sure of the answer myself", Inuyasha sighed before resting his chin on his hand. "Perhaps I've grown tired of transfiguring everyone, or perhaps I just wanted to look at something normal for a change, someone untouched by my power. Maybe that's why I spared Kagome from transfiguration".

"You know if you wanted to see something normal for a change you need only look in the mirror", Koga remarked, he was one of the only few people that had seen his lord's face, the other being the oldest living person in the kingdom, the old woman who always denied the lord's offer to return her form to normalcy, Kaede.

* * *

Finding the library was surprisingly easy, one of the servants, a large fellow named Jinenji who looked like he was crossed with a horse was kind enough to point her in the right direction. When Kagome walked through the tall double doors, she felt like she just walked into paradise. Books, books everywhere in this huge octagonal shaped room. Two more levels could be seen containing even more volumes she wished to dive into.

"Wow", Kagome said just a little too loud earning a hush from the small pale white haired girl with matching rabbit ears and tale wearing a white dress.

"Oh, sorry", she whispered. "I take it you are Kanna".

"Yes, I am", the young girl spoke in a soft emotionless voice.

"Lord Inuyasha sent me to get last month's crop records", Kagome watched as the girl walked through a door and less than a minute later came back with a leather bound record book that she handed to her. "Thank you", she noticed that Kanna's face never faltered from the blank expression she seemed to permanently wear. Kagome headed back to the lord's office letting her mind wander about how she could possibly get herself out of this situation. Perhaps she could escape, gather Rin and leave, even though her horse was a small child now she could still take care of her and keep Rin's ears hidden. Leaving might be difficult, she heard from the other servants that the wolf pack, Koga's soldiers patrolled the forests surrounding the kingdom and with their superior senses, Kagome realized she wouldn't get far.

"That took you longer than I expected girl", Inuyasha didn't even look at her as she walked in and placed the record book on his desk. He also rudely snapped his fingers and pointed at his now empty tea cup. Kagome was sick and tired of him referring to her as 'girl', so she decided to get bold again and speak her mind.

"My name isn't girl", Kagome said grabbing the pot pouring the tea into his cup.

"What?" Lord Inuyasha actually turned to look at her.

"It's Kagome, my name is Kagome", she said confidently while Inuyasha just stared at her with his piercing honey gold eyes.

"Very well then Kagome, bring me the notebook on the shelf over there marked Treasury", Kagome smiled triumphantly that she actually got him to use her name. She quickly brought him the notebook and as she gave it to him his hand accidentally brushed hers. Kagome flushed pink for a second, luckily Lord Inuyasha didn't seem to notice or care. His skin felt warm which was odd seeing as how cold he acted.

* * *

Later after dinner Inuyasha dismissed her just like yesterday and Kagome found herself in the mess hall again talking with the other servants. She wanted to find out some more information about Inuyasha and his history. Kagome realized if she was trapped here she could at least add more to the story of the magic prince. She saw Koga was sitting a long table with his soldiers and decided to see if she could get fish some answers out of him.

"Ah! The ever beautiful Kagome", Koga noticed Inuyasha's new servant approaching him with a confident stride. He slid the chair next to him out with his foot, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Hi Koga, I'm not disturbing you am I?" Kagome asked sitting down with her plate of food.

"No not at all", Koga grinned at her. "So, it looks like you want to get something off your chest".

"Well yes, I was hoping you could tell me more about his highness", Kagome took a sip of her drink while watching him.

"Depends on what you want to know", Koga mimicked her actions taking a sip of his drink as well.

"I just want to know about his history", she said honestly.

"Well I'm afraid I don't know much about that, I've only known his highness for about twenty years. I was just a wolf leading a whole pack when we first met", Koga reminisced poking his steak with a fork.

"Can you tell me about that?" Kagome looked intrigued.

"He actually came to me, it was crazy. In walks into our den a hooded unarmed man completely alone and yet not a single wolf attacks him, deep down we all could sense the power he possessed", Koga chuckled at the memory. "I walked up, as the leader it was my duty to approach the trespasser. He pointed his hand at me, next thing I knew I was like this", he said pointing at himself. "All these new feelings and emotions were now running through my head, the main was embarrassment after all I was standing there completely naked, but Lord Inuyasha was nice enough to give me his cloak so I could cover myself. He led me outside and we just talked for hours, speaking came so easily to me, I suddenly knew words and the meaning behind them".

"He can do that?" Kagome didn't know Lord Inuyasha was so powerful.

"He can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants with his powers", that was the honest truth, there really was no fighting it or his highness with what he possessed. "So we came to an arrangement, actually he gave me a choice. He would return me to my wolf form, leave me and my pack alone forever or he could give the rest of my pack human forms like mine and give us food, roof over heads, and all we had to do was serve as his royal soldiers", Koga told her of the deal he was offered back then. "Naturally as the alpha of an entire pack I am always looking out for what's best of them, so I choose the latter. It was a great deal, we all live quite well here".

"So he was different back then", Kagome stated like it was a sudden realization.

"No not really, he's pretty much the same now as he was when we met. Hey may be bitter and cold all the time, but there's still a beating heart in there", Koga took another swig of his drink.

"How old is he exactly?" Kagome asked another question that had been bothering her the past few days.

"I think he's just a few years shy of a hundred, why do you ask?" The wolf man looked at her questioningly.

"Well I…sort of…caught a glimpse of him…in the bath", Kagome forced out blushing like crazy.

"Ah, saw a bit of the Lord's flesh did you?" he joked elbowing her softly. "See something you liked didn't you?"

"No I didn't see his face, but I saw his body, he still looks so young", maybe his face was horribly aged but not his body and that's why he hides his face.

"It's his power, as far as I know he's frozen his age at about twenty years old" Koga twirled his fork with two fingers.

"Why does he hide his face?" that was the big question she wanted answered.

"Only his highness could tell you that, even I'm not sure", Koga turned back to his plate of warm food as Kagome started running out of questions that he could answer.

"Do you know what he was like before you met him?" Kagome really wished she had a pen and paper right now rather than committing all this stuff to memory.

"I'm the wrong person to ask that, you might want to talk to Kaede when you get the chance. She's the oldest living person in the kingdom and she was around when Lord Inuyasha was very young. If you want to know what he was like when he was happy go talk to her", Kagome having heard that looked around for the old tree woman, but she wasn't in the mess hall tonight. She thanked Koga for being so open with her and left the dining area.

Later that evening after taking a bath and returning to her room Kagome sat down at the small desk she was provided with and pulled out her journal. She wrote down everything Koga told her and everything she heard yesterday. She also wrote down the questions she still had yet to find answers to before turning out the light and going to bed.

'Why does he hide his face?' were Kagome's final thoughts before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 **I'm surprised by the welcome reception this story got. Very well I'll keep going.**

 **I always thought Kagome would look adorable in a maid outfit. Inuyasha keeps his face hidden for two specific reasons that will be explained later on.**

 **Also I'm probably not going to explain this in the story, Inuyasha's more trustworthy servants are animals that he turned human, Koga and his pack, Kagura is like that and Kanna is to. The reason being is that he doesn't trust humans that much after what he's seen. That will become more apparent in the story. Kaede's a different case because she's been around so long and proven her loyalty.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter3: What Makes You So Special?

**What Makes You So Special?**

A week had passed for Kagome after she had been shanghaied into being a magically gifted prince's personal servant. The routine wasn't so bad, but Lord Inuyasha's icy exterior and bitter disposition was awful to deal with on a daily basis. It was like no act of kindness could faze him, even when Kagome actively went out of her way to try and put him in a good mood it never worked. Like the time she added sugar to his tea, that didn't exactly go well.

"You seem to be in a good mood today your highness", Kagome said as she poured his evening tea while he took a moment to himself in his office.

"Things are not as they seem Kagome", Lord Inuyasha shot back coldly. He took a sip of his tea and then quickly spit it back in the cup. "What the hell did you put in my tea?"

"I..I um just", Kagome stuttered a little scared by his angry tone. She jumped me he pointed his finger and shot a red magic bolt that transfigured the lamp next to her into a potted plant.

"You think you're the first to try and poison me?" he then pointed his finger at her, but didn't shoot any magic at her.

"It's just sugar your highness", Kagome sweated.

"Sugar?" he put his hand down and looked at her questioningly.

"You're tea is just so bitter and I noticed you never add anything to it, so I only wanted to make it sweeter for you", Kagome said rubbing the back of her head nervously, she had avoided any major screw ups until now and was afraid of the possible punishment. "I'm so sorry", she bowed before him expecting the worst.

"Hm, well warn me next time you do something drastic", he said seemingly calm before taking another sip of his now sweeter tea.

'Drastic? Me?' Kagome thought glancing at the lamp he turned into a plant back to the lord cloaked in a forest green hooded robe.

'Wait a minute he kept drinking the tea. He likes it?', she smiled in realization that actually succeeded at making him a tiny bit happy.

"And what are you smiling about?" Lord Inuyasha asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Just happy to be of service to you", Kagome jokingly gave him a military salute.

"Keh", and with that Lord Inuyasha went back to his work managing the entire kingdom.

LATER

Kagome had just finished dropping off the reassignment letters in Shippou's office. Apparently the boy had a talent for moving quickly and delivering messages and papers to the proper staff, the fox boy had a great memory and had memorized every inch of the castle and every room that each servant stayed in as well as where they worked. He did such good work that he was given an important position and his own small office, but it was mostly so Lord Inuyasha knew where to find him, because the boy had a nasty habit of playing harmless pranks on people in the castle.

Walking down one of the main corridors Kagome stopped a few yards from someone who stood in the center of the hallway. The tall figure was dressed in a deep black hooded robe that made her think it was Lord Inuyasha for a second, but he always wore nice and clean cloaks, this person's black robes were torn and ragged looking, the shredded ends pooling around the floor at their feet. The hood was up, so Kagome couldn't see his face, this person also wore a strange mask that reminded her of a baboon.

"Um, excuse me", Kagome said watching the creepy figure.

"What…makes you…so special?" the guy's voice was creepy and slightly muffled by the mask as he drew his questioning out.

"Pardon?" Kagome was starting to get nervous being around this man.

"What makes you so special?" the guy asked again walking closer to her. Kagome noticed an awful smell coming from him as he stepped closer to her, but she held her ground. If she could deal with Lord Inuyasha's intimidating presence she could deal with this guy.

"I'm not sure what you mean mister", she said honestly.

"His highness didn't transfigure you", the cloaked man said walking in a circle around her like a predator would its prey. Kagome noticed he didn't walk so much as he glided across the floor with no movement from his robes, but she did notice up close multiple somethings moving around inside his cloak. "He left you exactly the way you were for a reason and I want to know why", he stopped in front of her.

"I…don't", Kagome found herself afraid staring into the eye holes of the baboon mask where two blood red rubies glared daggers down at her.

"I'll ask you again girl. What…makes you so special?" his voice sounded more dangerous this time. Kagome wanted to take a step back, but couldn't.

"Naraku!" a voice shouted, Koga appeared in the hall walking up to the group.

"General Koga", the black cloaked figure now identified as Naraku bent forward in half in a rather fluid bow.

"What do you think you're doing? You know his highness doesn't like your presence up in the castle unless summoned", the wolf commander glared down at the man, if he could even be called that anymore.

"I merely wanted to greet the newest member of the staff is all", Naraku said standing back up straight.

"Get back to work in the sewers you creep", Koga ordered.

"Of course", Naraku glided across the floor and turned the corner, but not before giving Kagome one more menacing glance.

"You alright Kagome, that bastard didn't touch you did he?" Koga examined Kagome concerned.

"N-no, I'm fine. Who was that guy anyway?" Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as that scary man was now gone.

"He's Naraku, he was given the unfortunate job of cleaning and maintaining the sewers and plumbing system", the wolf explained. "I advise you to stay far away from him if he ever comes up to the main part of the castle again".

"That seems like a terrible job, but why is he so creepy?" Kagome asked.

"Well, he's probably the only person who got exactly what he deserved when Lord Inuyasha transfigured him", Koga started walking and Kagome followed curious to hear more of this story. "You see he came here long ago as a travelling merchant, a real smooth talker he was. One day he managed to seduce the head of the church Kikyo, he knew she had access to the castle as the primary spiritual and religious adviser, she was also given special audience with his highness because he had deep respect for the church".

"Lord Inuyasha is religious? I didn't know that", Kagome interrupted.

"No not really, his powers make him practically a god already, but he does appreciate the messages the church tries to teach, he also believes it's good for the people to have faith in something", Koga scratched his head in thought. "Well one night Naraku managed to trick Kikyo into thinking that Lord Inuyasha really needed emergency spiritual advice, so she took Naraku up to the castle. Kikyo went to the throne room while he stayed behind, well she somehow figured out something was odd about Naraku, so she went back only to see him headed into a restricted area of the castle. Kikyo followed him down to the vault where managed to get inside, apparently it wasn't the gold he was after rather and important treasure that belongs to his highness that even I didn't know of", Koga smirked seeing the question in her eyes. "It's some sort of sword made to focus Lord Inuyasha's powers, his father the king made it for him. Naraku was going to steal it. But Kikyo stepped in to try and stop him and talk the bastard out of it. Well he ended up killing her, that's when my wolf soldiers that Naraku didn't know about smelled her blood and apprehended him".

"And then what happened?" Kagome asked, she was getting great material for the book.

"Inuyasha was furious, murder is the worst crime in his kingdom and when he found out that Naraku had killed the head of the church he transfigured the man into the most horrible disgusting thing he could think of as punishment", Koga explained.

"What did he turn him into?" Kagome wondered.

"I think its best I didn't tell you, not this close to dinner at least", the wolf chuckled seeing Kagome gross herself out with her imagination.

' _Now you will forever be the worthless pile of maggots that you are',_ Koga thought back to the rage filled words that Lord Inuyasha used and the screaming of the despicable man as his body was warped and twisted into something completely unrecognizable from a human being.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat", he said as they headed to the servant's mess hall. They were stopped before they reached the eating area by Kaede. The old tree woman greeted them with smile.

"Good afternoon Kagome, General Koga", Kaede nodded her head towards to him.

"How many times do I have to say it old lady, you don't have to use my title in private", Koga groaned, Kaede just smiled pleasantly at him before turning to Kagome.

"His highness wishes for you to join him for dinner", the woman said.

"Me, what?" Kagome looked extremely confused.

"Oh, the royal dining hall, how fancy. You must have done something he liked, people hardly ever get invited to eat dinner with his highness", Koga smirked seeing Kagome's face blush. "Well good luck on your date", was the last he said before walking into the mess hall.

"Why does his highness want me to join him?" Kagome asked the head of the kitchen staff.

"He didn't say, he just said to bring you to the royal dining room", Kaede said leading her down the hall.

"Should I run to my room and change into something more appropriate than this", Kagome said pointing at her white maid outfit.

"His Highness said what your wearing will be sufficient", Kaede relayed. Kagome didn't have much time to mentally prepare herself as they arrived at their destination much quicker than she thought they would. Kagome walked into the extravagant dining room, looking around at the white marbled floor, high ceiling, and extremely long intricately carved wooden dining table with fancy cushioned chairs and elegantly crafted candle sticks to lighten the table.

"Don't just stand their gawking, have a seat", Lord Inuyasha said from all the way across the room at the head of the table.

"Ah, right", Kagome quickly sat down at the opposite end of the long table. From a third person perspective this would look absolutely ridiculous, the only two people eating at such a long table sitting at the opposite ends. Lord Inuyasha let out an annoyed sigh at the situation.

"Not there, here", he pointed at the chair to his right and it moved out by itself. A light blush dusted Kagome's cheeks as she quickly walked up the long table to sit next to him. A servant appeared and politely pushed her chair in. After that complete awkward silence engulfed the room while they waited for dinner to be brought to the table.

"Do you want something to drink?" he said, though it was a simple cordial question to offer a drink, his cold tone made it sound almost rude.

"Y-yes please!" Kagome looked a little startled at first, but regained her confidence while he poured the bottle of wine on the table into her glass. "My lord, may I ask why you requested I join you for dinner?"

"I was curious about you know and wanted to know more", he stated with just a hint of interest in his voice.

"What would you like to know?" Kagome looked at him like she rarely did, as a person and not an all-powerful magic prince.

"Tell me about where you come from, your family, your life there", he took a sip of his wine while he waited for her to talk.

"Well back home I lived with my mom and younger brother. My father passed away two years ago, but he left us enough money to live well on", she said sadly.

"What are they like?" Inuyasha questioned softly, neither of them noticed Kaede poke her head out of the kitchen and smile knowingly at the pair.

"Well my brother can be a little annoying sometimes, but he's real sweet too, he recently found a girlfriend. My mother is probably the nicest most caring person I know, she didn't get very sad when dad died, but I knew she was, more than we were", Kagome looked down at her drink in thought.

"My condolences", Kagome looked surprised at him when he spoke, that was most sincere thing he ever said. "You said you came from the east right?"

"Yes I came from Queensland", Kagome was happy he changed the subject, he must have noticed how somber she became.

"Tell me, do they still have a queen?" Lord Inuyasha asked resting his head in his hand.

"Of course we do, as we have had for the last five hundred years", she said proudly. Her home country was called Queensland because they have always had a queen as the primary ruler since the country was first established five hundred years ago. It was the whole kingdoms belief that women were superior rulers than men as they were not as easily corrupted by power and greed.

"Your country borders on the sea, doesn't it?", he asked, Kagome nodded in response. "What's the sea look like? I'm afraid I've seen it before".

"The sea is…beautiful, like an endless field of sapphire. My town borders on it, so I see it almost every day", she explained happily. Kagome really missed her home, maybe someday soon she could return. Kaede entered from the kitchen followed by two other servants with cat ears and tails caring plates of hot food. They placed to steaming plates of some sort of pasta mixed with strips of beef. Kagome's mouth was practically watering at the sight.

"Dinner is served your highness", Kaede bowed respectfully. Despite how hungry Kagome was she knew her manners and waited patiently for the person of royalty to start eating first. Lord Inuyasha slowly picked up a fork and began eating through the slit in the bandages on his face. Kagome copied him and began to eat as well. The food tasted absolutely divine, her own mother's cooking didn't even compare to this.

"This is really good!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Kaede has always been a great cook, it's why I employed her as the head of the kitchen staff", he said taking another sip from his wine. Kagome looked at him while he ate and drank through the masking covering his face.

"Your highness, my I ask why you cover your face?" Kagome watched as he suddenly stopped eating and put down his fork. After a few moments of silence he finally spoke.

"I didn't transfigure or deform myself despite what most have probably said no, the reason I hide my face is so those I have transfigured don't get to look at my normal human appearance. Their vanity was their undoing so they don't deserve to look upon me anymore and yearn for what they used to be", he explained. Kagome was intrigued by his explanation but believed there had to be more to it.

"So you hide your face as a punishment for them?" It almost sounded silly to mask yourself for so long for that reason.

"Not just a punishment, but my hidden face is a symbol for my judgment on their hearts", he picked up his glass and finished off his win with one quick gulp.

"What about me your highness?" Kagome frowned when she looked at him.

"What about you?" Lord Inuyasha turned his yellow eyes back to her.

"Are you judging me? Is that why you keep your face hidden from me?" Kagome asked, it made sense if he kept his face hidden from everyone else as a reminder of their punishment then what was she being punished for.

"No, I haven't figured you out yet", he turned away to refill his glass.

"So that means I have a chance to see your face?" Kagome smiled up at them.

'This girl', Inuyasha wondered how this single girl was able to get him to talk so much, normally he would never be this open with just anyone. "Finish your plate", he said taking a bread roll from the basket. Kagome finished eating with a smile, not letting his icy tone get to her.

"You may leave if you're finished Kagome", he said quietly, she noticed something off about his voice, almost like he didn't want her to leave.

"I kind of like being in your presence, I'm happy to stay right here your highness", Kagome watched him while he gave her a strange look, like he didn't understand what she meant by that. After he had enough dinner Kaede came and took the plates and bid them both goodnight. Inuyasha gave her a quick 'see you in the morning' farewell and left to his personal wing. Kagome stood in the royal dining hall and waited for Kaede to come back, she realized this would be a good opportunity to final get to talk to the old tree woman.

"Kagome dear, is there something you need?" she asked.

"Yes, I was hoping to get to talk to you", Kagome sat back down at the table and the old woman sat across from her. Her wooden wrinkled hands rested atop each other while she leaned forward. "Koga told me that you knew Lord Inuyasha before he was like this, I was just hoping to know more about him, if that is alright with you?"

"There are some personal things his highness wouldn't want me speaking of, but I suppose my recounting of when I first met him would be alright", Kaede sighed before she began her tail. "I'm not sure when he was born exactly, I was just a small young girl when I first laid eyes on him. He was about fifteen when he started visiting the town with his father and displaying his amazing powers to us citizens", Kaede managed to smile fondly at the memory. "Back then my family didn't have much money, I think Lord Inuyasha was able to tell just by looking at me as I stood in the front row of the crowd, he was very perceptive back then. I had a piece of rope in my hand that I was playing with, because we couldn't afford a real doll and when he passed by on his horse he simply waved his hand towards me and the piece of rope turned into a real gold and diamond necklace", the old woman chuckled remembering how shocked she was back then, originally she heard of the prince's powers, but up until that moment she thought it was a rumor. "Imagine my surprise when I was suddenly holding such an expensive gorgeous treasure and when I looked at Lord Inuyasha he simply looked back and me and smiled. My family was able to use the money we got from that necklace to buy a better home, it was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for us".

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Kagome asked.

"Unfortunately this old head of mine can barely recall what he looked like, sorry but it's been so long since he's shown his face to anyone, but I do remember he was the most beautiful person I had ever laid eyes on when I first saw him. Not just in appearance, but in spirit as well", Kaede looked away, it was true that she couldn't see his face in her mind anymore and that made her sad, knowing she was hoping to see his true appearance one last time before she passed on.

"So what happened to him?" It seemed so tragic that someone so kind and generous could turn into what he is now, although now she wasn't so sure about him anymore. One minute Kagome has him begged as a cold unfeeling ruler, the next he's having her join him for dinner.

"You must understand, things were very hard for him back then, his father the king died so suddenly and Lord Inuyasha was left to rule the kingdom himself. More and more people kept flocking to the castle to be made to look beautiful and it just took a huge toll on him each time he used his powers", Kaede explained.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"I heard his mother speak about this once, she was a powerful sorceress and tried to explain to his highness the cost of using his powers. She said that every time he changed someone it he had to breach their hearts and souls to alter their bodies. What that means Kagome is that every person he changed he had to look into their souls, and all he saw was greed and vanity, people obsessing to become beautiful and it did nothing but disgust him. Little by little his personality began to darken until it became too much for him. His highness stopped granting those requests and when they kept pestering him about all his anger and despair finally burst. In a fit of rage his power swept across the land and transformed everyone into the monsters he viewed them as", Kaede kept her emotions in check as she thought about that day.

"Goodness", Kagome was almost speechless, she couldn't even imagine the type of pain he was feeling to able to commit such an act on his own subjects.

"Yes, gone was the happy and generous prince we all took for granted and in his place we got the cold stoic ruler that we didn't want, but deserved", Kaede sighed sadly. "Thought it isn't so bad anymore, his transfigurations are not as severe as they were to begin with, he saves those for the criminals, but us regular citizens usually end up like Shippou".

"But people like Shippou and all the others had nothing to do with what happened back then, so why does he transfigure them?" Kagome brought up a fair point.

"Well it's done as a reminder of his dominion over everyone and the power he possesses. Don't be quick to feel pity either, most of the citizens have grown quite comfortable with what they are now, some even see the benefit of the animal and elemental forms and use them to their advantages in their work, we've all denied his offer to turn us back to normal at some point. The only people who aren't give the offer are undesirables and those who commit terrible crimes like Naraku", Kaede shivered at the mention of that man, no creature.

"Yeah I kind of met him in the hall today, Koga chased him off and told me about what he did", Kagome said, she still couldn't get the look in the guy's eyes out of her head.

"It would be in your best interest to avoid another encounter with him", Kaede advised.

"Funny Koga gave me the same advice", Kagome chuckled dryly, she then remembered another question she wanted to ask. "Why do you think he didn't transfigure me?", Kaede smiled at her knowingly.

"I'm sure you must know why, it's very simple after all. If you think about it hard enough you'll understand", Kaede wondered why it was so difficult for everyone to figure out that Lord Inuyasha may perhaps like Kagome, even if he doesn't realize it himself.

ELSEWHERE

Inuyasha stood on the balcony in his private wing of the castle in the main living quarters. He looked at the darkened cloudy night sky as he took off his cloak leaving his chest exposed and removed the bandages that covered his face. His long shimmering white hair fluttered in the cool breeze as he let himself relax.

'Kagome, why did I have dinner with her?' he thought to himself. The intriguing girl that recently entered his world had been on his mind lately and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Inuyasha tilted his head straight up and waved his hand at the sky temporarily separating the clouds and creating an opening to where he can see the full moon.

'Kagome and her questions', he wanted to be annoyed with all her running around and trying to find out his past, but he failed. It actually felt kind of nice to have someone around who wanted to know about him and by some strange coincidence he wanted to more about her too. Kagome the first visitor his kingdom received in fifteen years, and the only one that he secretly hoped stayed here a little longer, but he had a feeling that wouldn't be the case very soon.

IN THE BOWELS OF THE CASTLE

A black cloaked figure paced the sewers that he was put in charge of. His anger finally got the better of him and he lashed out, a few thin red wiry tentacles slithered out the bottom of his frayed robes and whipped a bucket of sludge into spilling over.

"I can't believe this, fifteen years down in this rat hole sewer system cleaning filth", Naraku ranted to himself. "Fifteen years I was turned into this 'thing', by is highness", he spat the words with hatred. "Meanwhile some pretty girl appears out of nowhere and not only is she spared from his transfiguration, but she gets the glamorous job of being 'his' personal servant", the red fleshly tendrils gripped the spilled over bucket and crushed into metal scrap. "What makes her so damn special? I'll have to find out and destroy it".

* * *

 **I updated pretty fast this time, yeah!**

 **So some new characters, some history revealed. I know this chapter was very exposition heavy, but that's how it is when you're trying to create a history for your made up world. Also the continent the story takes place is sort of a European style land, not actual Europe. Kagome's homeland is called Queensland, like the name? I got it from my favorite level in American Mcgee's Alice video games.**

 **Naraku is of course a bad guy in this story. Kaede's recounting was a way to show what Inuyasha was like at one time. I'm not sure if I should add Miroku and Sango to this, or should I just leave them out of this one, because I've pretty much established all the main characters, anymore will just slow the story down.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter4: Storm of Sadness

**The Storm of Sadness**

Every other day Lord Inuyasha would ask, more like order, Kagome to have dinner with him. Those evenings were not so bad; he would ask her things about her family and home country. Inuyasha has lived in this land for so long it was perfectly understandable that he would express such interest in other kingdoms. Whenever Kagome tried to ask about his life he always kept his answers very vague and short which sometimes frustrated her to no end. She had learned quickly that the best way to find out information was from other people like Koga, Shippou and Kaede.

This week Kagome was allowed to go down to the town and pick up somethings. Inuyasha had decided to pay her an allowance as he did the other servants. They weren't given much, mainly because they were given free rooms in the castle for their services, but it was enough to buy some new clothes and other essential things in the town. Walking down the streets she watched the transfigured people go about their day, some seemed to be in a hurry carrying supplies and lumber.

Kagome found a nice little shop where she was able to buy a nice white dress. Lord Inuyasha told her that he wouldn't be needing her as much for the following week, so that means she would get some more free time, so she wanted something comfortable and light to wear around the castle. One thing that was odd about the kingdom was that they were in the north, during winter, but the temperature was only just slightly cool like autumn. Kagome chalked it up to his highness's magic adding to the list of powers he possessed. As she was leaving the town she noticed the transfigured people were boarding up their homes and shops.

"Excuse me miss", she said getting a girl with cat ears and a tail's attention.

"Yes", she purred.

"Why is everyone boarding up the buildings?" Kagome asked politely.

"It's the week of the storm, don't you know about it. Oh wait you're that new girl Kagome aren't you?" she exclaimed excitedly.

"You know me?"

"Everyone knows who you are, Kagome the girl who was not transfigured, everyone talks about you", she didn't sound angry about how unaltered Kagome was like that man Naraku was. This cat girl was looking at her like she was a celebrity.

"What's the week of the storm?" Kagome questioned her.

"Well every year for this one week his highness creates a storm of powerful winds, pouring rain and crashing thunder and sets it upon the kingdom", she explained.

"That's sounds terrible, for what reason would he do that?" Kagome found such cruelty hard to believe.

"Well he doesn't do it on purpose", she remarked.

"Really?" how does he create a storm on by accident?

"I'm not sure how it works, but I think it has something to do with Lord Inuyasha's past. You should probably talk to Miss Kaede she would know all about it", she said waving goodbye and running off with her bag of food. It seemed old Kaede was the woman to go to for any information on his highness's past.

Just like the girl she met on the street said, the week started and so did the storm. Heavy rain pelted the window of her room and the crash of thunder woke her up a few minutes earlier than she normally did. Kagome dressed in her maid outfit and decided to go ahead and wait for Lord Inuyasha wake up by his door. Imagine her surprise when she arrived in the royal wing to find his highness leaving the bedroom, completely bathed and fully dressed. He was wearing a black cloak this time and didn't even spare her a word or a glance as he breezed past her. Kagome took note of his strange behavior, cleaned his quarters and took the sheets to the laundry staff as usual and headed to the throne room.

When she arrived Inuyasha was facing the window watching the down pour, the lightning would flash through the dimly lit room every few seconds. Kaede came in and gave him his breakfast and morning tea, he didn't each much of it. The old woman gave him a concerned look before taking the tray of left overs and leaving. Kagome watched him as he quietly stood from his throne and walked over to the large open window, just staring out into the rain without saying a word.

"Kagome", he finally spoke so softly she almost didn't hear him.

"Yes your highness?" Kagome waited for some sort of instructions.

"I won't be needing you today, you may have the rest of the day off", he said, never once turning around from the window.

"Thank you my lord", Kagome bowed politely and made to leave, the doors were held open and she smiled at the door men. As they closed it behind her she took one last look at Lord Inuyasha only to see him looking back at her from his spot at the window.

Kagome decided to put on her new dress and take the day to relax and find out from Kaede why Lord Inuyasha creates a terrible storm for the this particular week very year. She walked around the castle wearing a soft white sundress than went past her knees and accentuated her slim female body with short sleeves that left her shoulders exposed. She left her hair down and loose and put on some comfortable light gray slip on shoes. First thing she did was go to the library, his highness gave her permission to use it and even burrow a book as long as she returned it. Kanna greeted her and told her to make sure to be quiet as there were others in the library. She picked up a book she found last time she was here, a book concerning the life and history of the previous ruler of this kingdom, King Taisho, Lord Inuyasha's father.

"You like to read?" a voice whispered from behind her causing Kagome to jump as a shadow loomed over her table. She put the book down and turned to see Naraku standing a little too close for her liking dressed the same as when she first met him, in a long black torn cloak and baboon mask to hide his face.

"Y-yes" , she said quickly and quietly. Like before she could see something moving around from underneath his robe in different spots.

"You must have the day off to be dressed in such a way", he commented, ruby eyes glaring down at her with so much hate.

"I am, his highness doesn't require my presence today", Kagome said not liking how he was staring at her through the eye holes of his mask, she started to regret wearing such a form fitting dress today.

"Must be a nice cushy job you have", he remarked snidely.

"I didn't exactly have a choice in it", Kagome defended with a hiss, mindful of the library rules.

"Oh?" his head twitched just a bit.

"His highness forced me to be his servant I can't exactly leave yet", she explained getting up to leave, Koga and Kaede were right in warning her of Naraku, the guy was kind of a creep.

"Interesting", he commented gliding across the floor away from her. Kagome could have sworn she saw what looked like snakes coming out of the bottom of his cloak wriggling around like they were moving him across the floor. She wondered for a moment just what kind of creature Naraku was turned into.

'Something tells me his reason for hiding his face is not the same reason Inuyasha hides his', Kagome thought returning to her book. It was an interesting history about the king, but unfortunately it didn't have any information that she wanted on Inuyasha, it didn't even have the name of his wife, the sorceress. Just the date of when he passed.

'Wait a second. That date!' Kagome quickly scribbled down the date King Taisho passed in her notebook and walked over to the calendar by the front entrance to the library. According to the history book, the king died on the first of December and that date fell on Thursday of this week, today was Monday. Perhaps there was some correlation between that and the week of the storm, because from what she had heard this storm happened every year on the week of December first. Only one person would know for sure and that was Kaede. Good thing she planned on having lunch with her today.

Kagome walked down to the kitchen and politely asked for Kaede, they pointed her to the back room where the old woman was busy sitting at a table plucking a few dead leaves from her branch like arms.

"Does that hurt?" Kagome asked pointing at the leaves.

"Oh no, I barely feel it dear", Kaede turned to look at her. "Just another sign of me getting old. I probably won't be here much longer, I told Lord Inuyasha I'll pick a replacement head of the kitchen staff".

"I'm sure you still have more time than that", Kagome said trying to reassure her.

"I'll be fine dear", the old woman chuckled. "Now was there something you needed?"

"I wanted to see if you wanted some company for the lunch break", Kaede smiled at her and nodded her head.

"I was just about to head to the mess hall", Kagome followed the head cook out of the main kitchen and into the servant's dining hall past the double swinging doors. They sat down on one end of an empty table while Kaede helped herself to a bowl of soup and Kagome had a light sandwich.

"You look like you have more questions, pertaining to his highness I bet", she smiled knowingly.

"I just wanted to know about the week of the storm", Kagome waited for the old woman to gather her thoughts.

"Well that's another sad story. You see this week on December first is the anniversary of the death of Lord Inuyasha's father", Kaede said sadly.

"I read that in the history book, it didn't say much about how he died", Kagome looked down at her empty plate in thought. "It just said he fell ill and passed away".

"It was actually an assassination", Kaede interrupted her.

"What?"

"Yes, an unseen enemy named Ryukotsei secretly poisoned King Taisho and later attempted to seize control of the kingdom while Lord Inuyasha was busy mourning the loss of his father. The kingdom didn't exactly have a strong fighting force back then, one of the reasons why his highness employed the wolf pack as his new soldiers, but when the enemy saw how his highness transfigured their leader they turned and fled in fear and never returned", Kaede said triumphantly.

"What did he turn him into?" now Kagome was curious

"I wasn't their when it happened, but from what I heard Lord Inuyasha transfigured Ryukotsei into a horrid dragon and imprisoned him up in the mountains", Kaede took a slow sip of her soup like what she just said was a perfectly normal thing and not a fantastical and impossible tale. "Another nail in the coffin you might say for his disgust of human beings".

"Wow, its best not to get on his bad side", Kagome chuckled nervously. "So on this week every year he creates a storm that represents the sadness he feels over his father's death", she summed up.

"Not on purpose though", Kaede said placing her hands on the table. "Sometimes his highness loses control of his powers when he's under emotional distress, like extreme anger, sadness or happiness, though I've yet to see the results of the latter".

"Oh! So it's like that time when he got so angry at the people and turned everyone one into creatures", Kagome remarked

"Indeed, when his emotions get the better of him his power spills out and manifests in different ways", Kaede explained.

"So after all these years he still hasn't gotten over the death of his father?" Kagome looked away sadly, she could imagine what he was going through having lost her father two years ago, the wounds still felt fresh.

"It's not that simple dear; he didn't just lose his father. In an ironic twist years after he turned us into what we are, on this very same week his mother Lady Izayoi left the kingdom and has never returned since", Kaede thought back to the beautiful sorceress that was right hand to the king, the woman he married. It was so hard to believe that she would leave her son so abruptly.

"Why did she leave?" Kagome asked.

"Well nobody really knows but some say it was because she was upset with him and how he punished the citizens of the kingdom with transfigurations", Kaede set her bowl to the side, finished with it.

"So that part of the tale is true?" Kagome held her finger against her lips as her eyes teared up a bit. It just seemed so unfair to her, that Inuyasha had his father taken from him and then his mother abandoned him. It was no wonder he acted so cold and unfeeling, Kagome could understand how he must have closed his heart off to keep from being hurt again.

"Thank you Kaede", Kagome excused herself and left the mess hall. She headed towards Lord Inuyasha's office, she figured that's where he would be right now. Walking up to the double doors she was stopped by the two guards.

"His highness wishes not to be disturbed at this time", the wolf soldier on the right said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm Lord Inuyasha's personal servant", Kagome tried to use that to get inside.

"Didn't he give you the rest of the day off?" the guard on the left said sharply.

"Well yes he did, I just need to check if he needs me next morning", Kagome replied easily. "Please", she pleaded giving the puppy eyed look to the guards.

"Alright fine, only because you look so pretty", the right guard remarked letting her into the office. She approached the chair seeing the hooded figure sitting at the desk, head tilted down.

"Excuse me your highness", his head turned up at the sound of the girl's voice. Inuyasha was surprised to see Kagome after he dismissed her for the day. He was even more surprised to see her in a white form fitting dress that showed off her beautiful curves, elegant smooth neck and shoulders left exposed to his eyes. Good thing his face was hidden and she wouldn't be able to see the light blush that touched his cheeks.

"What do you want Kagome?" He asked quietly.

"Just wanted to see if you would… you know...", she trailed off.

"Yes", he waited for Kagome to continue.

"If you wanted some company", she breathed a sigh of relief that she finally able to speak her mind. Something about Inuyasha always made her nervous in a way she didn't quite understand. She could feel it whenever he gazed at her or spoke to her, or even his presence sometimes caused it.

"Company?"

"You just seemed so lonely today, I feel bad for leaving you by yourself", she supplied smoothly.

"Well I'm fine, I have no need of company", he said rather rudely.

"I was just trying to be thoughtful", Kagome defended. "There's nothing wrong with showing some sympathy to people".

"Sympathy and pity can go hand and hand you know", he remarked with cold disdain.

"Not to people you care about", she argued back.

"And you care about me, is that it", he sneered, not letting this go.

"Yes, yes I do care", Kagome said without hesitation, shocking Lord Inuyasha into silence.

"Do you now?" he questioned returning to his apathetic demeanor.

"Yes I do and I'm not the only one in the castle that cares about your wellbeing", she reprimanded him. "Just try to remember that", Kagome said placing her hands on her hips.

"If your done trying to scold me then please leave", something in his voice made Kagome remember how distraught he really was this week.

"I'm sorry", she said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear. Kagome quickly stepped out of the office and left him alone figuring she might have better luck tomorrow. Unfortunately the next day he appeared to be in a worse mood than yesterday.

After breakfast he dismissed her for the rest of the day just like before, and like yesterday Kagome later tried to ask if he wanted company again by stepping into his office. This time she walked up to the desk, but he didn't move or say anything.

"Your highness?" She questioned, it took a minute for her to realize the black and gold trimmed cloak sitting at the desk was in fact empty. Glancing around Kagome tried to figure out where Inuyasha disappeared to when she spotted the door to the balcony was left slightly open. Peering through the window she spotted him standing in the pouring rain, his mercury hair sticking to his muscular back and chest. She just stood there watching him with concern as he let the rain pelt him, he just stood on the balcony acing the mountains while lightning continued to flash across the sky. He suddenly turned facing the window, though Kagome couldn't see his face as it was covered by his long thick bangs, she could only see his yellow eyes staring at her through the glass. He moved over to the door and stepped inside, never taking his eyes off her. Kagome could only back away and avert her eyes out of respect.

"You can look you know", he said finally. Kagome could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she looked up and was finally gifted with the sight of Lord Inuyasha's face. Kaede was correct in what she said; the best word to describe his appearance was absolutely beautiful. He had a pale complexion, but that did nothing but add to his overall attractiveness. Inuyasha's smooth soft features, perfectly kissable lips, strong jaw line, combined with his large golden eyes framed by dark lashes and long thick hair of liquid silver gave him an overall ethereal appearance, like an ancient god of legend.

"Y-Your highness?" Kagome bushed heavily averting her eyes again by bowing. She wasn't expecting him to be so attractive and it was making her stutter and feel weak in her knees which was odd since she had met handsome men in the past, but none of them ever made her feel like this before.

"I said you may look upon me, why are you bowing?" he asked walking over to her. Kagome could see his feet in front of her and slowly her eyes made their way up the rest of his body coming to stop at his pecs and abs. It didn't help that he was well-toned with a lean muscular build that only increased his majestic appearance.

"Thank you, m-my lord, thank you for considering me worthy to see your face", Kagome stood up from the floor.

"Yes well I thought about and seem pure hearted and untainted by the things that normally disgust me", he commented glancing away while he talked. Kagome could have sworn she saw a light pink blush appear briefly on his face. "Plus I find your presence...acceptable".

"Acceptable?" Kagome looked at him oddly.

"Yes, while your demeanor would normal irritate me, I find myself not quite as annoyed as I thought I would be", he said trying to sound sincere.

"Thanks, I guess", Kagome wasn't sure if she was offended or not with what he said.

"Would you...like some tea?" Lord Inuyasha asked sitting down at the couch in the center of his office, he gestured to the other couch adjacent to his.

"I would like that", Kagome smiled sitting across from him. Inuyasha politely poured her a cup and handed it to her on a plate. They didn't speak much after that, choosing to sit in silence mostly, but they didn't really need to. Unknown to them the heavy down pour outside began to slow to a light shower.

MESS HALL

"I draw", Koga said picking a card from the top of the deck. He and few of his buddies along with Shippou, his new friend Rin and Miss Kaede decided to have a little fun and play a card game.

"So where's Kagome, she likes to play this too?" the wolf commander asked looking at his hand.

"She went to go see his highness", Kaede said.

"I've never seen someone this interested in Lord Inuyasha, its almost like she's obsessed with him or something", Shippou blurted out putting a card face down. Koga and Kaede chuckled at his words. "What's funny?"

"You'll figure it out when you're older", Koga said with a smirk.

"That's everyone's excuse to me for everything", the fox boy whined. He glanced at Rin who just shrugged.

"Don't look at me, I don't understand it either", Rin said playing with her horse ears.

"Well it appears to me that his highness has taking a liking to her", one of the wolf soldiers said drawing a card.

"Has he ever showed an interest in a woman like this before Kaede?" Koga asked since she knew his highness longer than anybody here.

"No never, though I once thought he held those same feelings for Lady Kikyo, but it turned out it was merely respect for her and what she taught the people at the church", The old woman said scratching the bark that was her skin. "I've seen the way his highness looks at Kagome and I can't recall ever seeing that emotion in his eyes before". Truthfully no one could understand what was going on in Lord Inuyasha's head but the man himself.

"She's a sweet girl, It's a shame his highness made her his personal assistant or I'd be all over her", Koga grinned playing a card face down.

UNDERNEATH THE CASTLE

In an old abandoned storage room, hidden within the castles sewer system Naraku glided in carrying a sack of something. He had repurposed the room a few years ago into a small laboratory dedicated to one purpose, to understand, negate and possibly steal the power Lord Inuyasha possessed.

It wasn't easy work, trying to wrap his head around it was difficult enough, but collecting samples was the hard part. Naraku opened the sack and took at four jars of rain water; it was his understanding that the storm was caused by his highness therefor each drop of rain contained a small bit of the magic he wielded. Unfortunately for him this storm only happened once a year on this week for some reason. If he could just extract that magic he would be one step closer to figuring this all out.

'Soon I'll be the one with all the power', he thought darkly as a red tentacle slithered out of his robe and grabbed the vial he needed to begin his research. There was just the other matter of the girl Kagome to deal with for now. For some reason he had yet to find out Lord Inuyasha spared her of his transfiguration and it infuriated him to no end. Naraku wondered if perhaps she was immune to his power, either way he needed to get her alone and away from his highness, so he could discover the secret she possessed.

* * *

 **That's that chapter, sorry for the wait I'm working on all my other stories at once and it's difficult to juggle. So now Kagome has finally seen his face, originally I was going to have her accidentally see his face and then he would get really pissed off, but I decided to start making him seem more human.**

 **Sesshomaru is not in this story in any form, as I stated before Inu is an only child, he will not be making an appearance. As for Miroku and Sango, I did find a way to make them fit into this story, but they won't come into play until way later.**

 **Next chapter I'm going to focus more on Inuyasha's perspective, so look forward to that.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	5. Chapter5: Laughter

**Laughter**

Inuyasha looked up at the sky slowly focusing and calming the raging storm that rained down on the kingdom. The week had finally ended and he was finally able to reign in his emotions enough to regain control of the weather.

'This really needs to stop, I thought locking my emotions away would be the solution, but its not', he thought looking at the sky. Locking his emotions away was only making them build up until they overflowed and he lost control of his powers. According to his mother his emotions are to better help him use his abilities not hinder them. When he is extremely depressed his power created a storm, when he is furious the landscape and the people in his kingdom are distorted. Luckily he got some of that anger under control a long time ago. Inuyasha wondered what would be the result of excessive happiness, how would the world around him change?

One thing he recently figured out was Kagome; she was starting to become a good outlet for some of his more positive emotions. Just being in her presence was both calming and interesting, which was odd since she didn't have anything special that would attract him, but something about her drew him in like a moth to the a flame. He showed her his face, something he only did to those he deemed he could trust absolutely. He showed when he proved his loyalty and to establish a bond of trust between them, he once offered to show Kaede his face, but she told him that he didn't need to and that his identity was in his spirit and not his appearance. Kagome was someone whom he judged as lacking even an ounce of vile corruption, the same ilk that he saw in almost everyone else. Maybe that's what really attracted him to her.

The next morning Inuyasha woke and took a bath, he took a glance at Kagome who was in her normal cheerful mood that he was starting to look forward to everyday. This time he didn't bother covering his face from her and waited to wrap it up in bandages till he was ready to leave the royal wing to star the day.

"Good morning your highness, the weather is looking good today", Kagome said noticing that the week of the storm had ended and the overcast was letting a little sun through this morning.

"Of course it's looking better, I regained control of the sky", he said back, but it had none of his normal cold bite to it. His tone sounded almost prideful, like he was bragging in front of her. Later during the day Kagome came into his office and delivered a very important letter she got from Shippou the head of the castle mail department. He grimaced when he read the contents; of course it had to be that.

"Dammit all, this again, of all the times", he grumbled resting his bandage covered face in his right hand.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked refilling his tea cup, one thing she picked up on in her first week as his personal servant was that he liked to drink his tea when something upset him.

"The stupid former nobles want to have another ball", he sighed.

"Former nobles?" Kagome's curious nature reared its head.

"Long ago the noble families that were once part of the kingdom tried to manipulate me into using my powers for profit gain and as punishment for this I stripped them of all authority and privileges", Lord Inuyasha explained, the look on their faces was actually quite amusing now that he recalled.

"So why do you still throw parties for them?" Kagome asked catching on.

"I told them to do charity work like taking care of orphaned children, their elders volunteering to teach schools, things like that. In return I reinstated a few of their former privileges, so now they offer to through a ball in my honor in the castle", Inuyasha looked at the letter with distaste, part of him still did care for the people of his kingdom even though he transfigured them all into his vision.

"That sounds nice", Kagome didn't fully understand how that was a bad thing.

"It's not; they mostly use it as a way to throw their daughters at me thinking I might choose one to marry and their family can ascend to royal status. They've been making fools of themselves like this for years", he was fully prepared for this, but Kagome wasn't, he realized he would need her to distract him from this pathetic show.

"I'll need you during this entire circus Kagome, don't bother with other plans", he said leaving no room for argument.

"It's fine I don't exactly have a good dress or a date, and mom always said you need at least one to go to a party", Kagome couldn't help but giggle cutely at her mom's old joke.

"You have a point about that first one", he remarked quickly scribbling a note and folding it up. "Go see Kagura and give this to her, she will make you something nice to wear for the ball".

"That's okay you really don't need to", Kagome was cut off as he raised his hand to silence her.

"I insist", he practically ordered.

"Why would you need me to look nice? I'll just be there as your servant?" She asked.

"I don't need you services, I need someone normal to talk to during this idiotic parade", realization suddenly dawned on Kagome and she took the letter and left.

'He wants me to look nice, it's almost like a date', she thought smiling to herself as she walked the corridor. When she arrived in the sewing chambers she was greeted by her former horse Rin. The two of them caught up on what the other was up to these past weeks, it had been awhile since she'd seen Rin after all. Kagura came in and took the note, once she was ready she dragged Kagome over to do a few measurements and come up with a few ideas of what would look good on her, Rin helped as well, wanting to have an active part in making Kagome's dress.

"Kagome?" Rin spoke up quietly, they had finished measurements and the head seamstress went to go get materials.

"Yes Rin?"

"I was wondering, do you like it here?" the small girl asked. Kagome had to think hard on that question, on one hand she did miss her friends and family in her homeland. On the other hand she had come to really like the people here in Lunaria and unravelling the mysteries surrounding Lord Inuyasha was something she looked forward to.

"Yes I do like it here", Kagome finally replied.

"Good, because I've decided I want to stay here", Rin said confidently.

"Really you want to stay here?" Kagome looked surprised.

"The people here are really nice and his highness was kind to me", Rin said.

"Wait, when was he kind to you?" she looked at her in disbelief, after all it was Lord Inuyasha who forcefully turned her from a horse to a little girl.

"Yeah it happened last week during the big storm. I was carrying a bunch of rolls of fabric; I could barely see where I was going and I accidentally bumped into his highness and dropped everything. Miss Kagura appeared and tried to apologize for me and begged him not to do anything terrible, but his highness said it was fine and he even helped me pick up what I dropped", Rin smiled remembering how nice he was about it.

"I guess that was nice of him", Kagome was wondering if she pegged him all wrong, maybe he really wasn't such a cold unfeeling prince, perhaps it was all just a mask he put on like the bandages he uses to hide his true face. Though the question remained, why doesn't he just act like he wants instead of how he normally is. With his power and authority he should be free to be his true self. Kagome decided to think more on this later, she said goodbye to Rin while Miss Kagura informed her that her new dress would be ready tomorrow morning, and left to return to Lord Inuyasha. While on her way she ran into one of her friends in the corridor.

"Hello Kagome, fancy running into you here", Koga said sounding a little flirty.

"I thought you could track people by scent, so you knew I was here", Kagome said with a chuckle.

"Ha, got me there", he said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "So I heard there's going to be ball in the next few days".

"Word travels fast around I see", she remarked.

"Yes it does and I was wondering if you would like to accompany me, as in us both go together", he finally proposed. Kagome was shocked for a moment, but quickly remembered that Lord Inuyasha asked or more like ordered her to keep him company during the whole party.

"You know I would love to, but his highness asked me to join him as well…I'm not exactly sure what I supposed to be for him", Kagome said.

"Damn he works fast", Koga snapped his fingers in frustrations. "Well just save me a dance, I'll see you then", he said as he walked away giving her a friendly wave. Kagome smiled as she watched him leave, the next few days were certainly going to be interesting.

NIGHT OF THE BALL

After a few days of planning and getting the castle ready tonight was the big party. Kagome had never seen the ballroom or any ballroom before. The one in the castle was huge; it was probably the largest room in the castle, with a high ceiling, black and white tiled marble floor, and three large chandeliers that kept the room well lit. The room was empty during the morning and afternoon, with the servants setting up tables, chairs and getting the food ready for the later festivities. Later in the evening the noble families arrived by carriages, each of them fancy dressed and heads held high almost arrogantly. With the way some of them spoke to the servants of the castle so callously Kagome could definitely see why Lord Inuyasha was disgusted by them most of the time. She sighed to herself and slowly made her way through the party to find his highness, she didn't really know anyone here and thought it best to stick with those she did know.

"This is hell", Inuyasha mumbled to himself as he sat in the center of a long table facing the dance floor. He was dressed in a dark blue cloak with elegant gold trim, matching pants a white loose silk shirt underneath and black wrappings to hide his face. He watched Kaede from a distance giving orders to the kitchen staff as they handed out wine and food to the guests, he originally tried to give her the night off knowing how busy it would be, but she refused as always. If there was one person who could get away with outright refusing him it would be the old woman whom he crossed with a tree. Inuyasha's eyes travelled to left of him where he spotted the commander of his army Koga dressed in a dark brown tailored coat with gray fur lining the collar and wrists, matching pants and a white shirt with the collar left up and the top few buttons left open. The wolf leader was busy flirting with a red haired servant who was a human crossed with a wolf with ears and a tail, unlike Koga who was originally a wolf that he transfigured into a man, he believed the servants name was Ayame if he heard their conversation correctly. He glanced around at the main table at the other people he sat with, the leading staff members and the heads of the noble clans, he arranged it that way specifically as a way of showing that the likes of them were all equal in his eyes. The other guests milled about the ballroom, a few dancing to the music, some conversed, and some sat and ate the food offered, they all were mixed with various different animals, mammals and even reptiles. The severity of these transfigurations varied depending on the past actions of their families.

"She's late", Inuyasha's eyes landed on the empty seat to his right that should have been occupied by one Kagome Higurashi, but she had yet to show up. As if the universe was hearing his thoughts the sound of the chair next to him sliding out caught his attention. Inuyasha turned his head and found his eyes frozen in place at the sight of Kagome. She was dressed in a black form fitting strapless dress, with matching heeled shoes and black silk wrist bands with a red stone on both arms. Kagome had left her hair loose and had only applied a minimal amount of makeup which was fine since she was naturally beautiful and didn't actually need any makeup.

"Hi, sorry I'm late your highness, I-", she was about to explain that she was a little nervous about coming to such a big get together, but he held his hand up to silence her.

"I don't need an excuse, I'm just glad you showed up", he said quickly gesturing for her to take a seat. Inuyasha and Kagome both noticed that most of the guests stopped and stared at her, they had even begun to whisper and gossip as they wondered who she was. Some even glared at her when it became apparent that she was not transfigured like everyone else.

"Just ignore them Kagome", Inuyasha said propping his head up on his knuckles. He had long since stopped caring what this lot thinks about him; he didn't see any reason why Kagome should start. They were all a bunch of arrogant fools in his mind.

"Easier said than done", Kagome tried not to look, but their stares were starting to bother her and make her feel self-conscious.

"Then let's talk, shall we", he said trying to distract her from the multitude of eyes and gossip directed at her.

"About what?" Kagome turned her attention to him. Lord Inuyasha hummed in thought tapping his hooded head with his fingers.

"Hm, I can't really think of anything at the moment", it was true, now that Inuyasha had Kagome here as company to distract him from all this nonsense around him he really didn't know what to say.

"How's your book coming along?" he finally was able to strike something up that was worth conversing about.

"Oh, it's going well I managed to get more material to add to the story", Kagome kept writing as many details and facts as she could get her hands on from how Koga and his pack came to be here, the week of the storm and the meaning behind it, how the king was actually poisoned. She thought about adding the bit about Naraku, but decided it best to leave him out of it.

"So what will you do once the story is finished?" Inuyasha wanted to know exactly what she planned to do with the story it was about his life after all.

"Well I promised my mother that I would finish the book and get it published to honor my dad's memory, so I'll probably return to Queensland to add the final touches", She explained missing the brief flash of shock in Lord Inuyasha's eyes.

"I see", the conversation seemed to die after that. He hadn't even considered the idea of Kagome soon leaving the kingdom, he was the one who originally forced her to stay here, but could he really keep her here against her will forever. The answer was no, no matter how cold and callous he acted deep down he wasn't as heartless as he led the people to believe. When the time came he would have to let her go, she had her own life to get back to.

During the night Kagome would talk with the other people she knew; like Kaede, Koga and even Shippou who was also granted a seat at the main table. Koga asked her to dance once and she participated while Lord Inuyasha watched her the whole time. Kagome tried to coax him into getting up and dancing with her, but he adamantly refused saying he only danced for special occasions and there was nothing special about this one. The music changed and people took their seats to begin the offerings as his highness called it.

"Get ready Kagome, you're about to see witness the ridiculous performances", he said while rolling his eyes. Kagome sat down and silently watched as the heads of each noble family presented a young daughter of age and offered them to him as a possible bride and Lord Inuyasha refused and rejected each one of them. Each of the girls acted all high and mighty like they were too good even for their status, it was no wonder why his highness rejected them all. Kagome was starting to get sick of this whole thing; she didn't know how Inuyasha put up with it for so long.

"May I be excused your highness", she said politely. Lord Inuyasha noticed how uncomfortable she was during this 'circus'. 'This is worse than last year; I'd give anything to end this right now', he sighed with annoyed frustration.

"You may", he dismissed her with a wave of his hand as he waited for the next offering. Kagome stood up and took her glass of red wine with her to step out into the hall for a bit. As she walked around the table she accidentally bumped into the next girl that was to be presented and spilled her entire glass of wine all over the girl's white frilled dress.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" even the music stopped as everyone's attention was on her now. Kagome would have laughed at the angry look on the stuck up girl's face or the furious glare her family was sending her if she wasn't so embarrassed. The other girl got so mad and was about to yell at her when a quiet noise broke through the deathly silence. It was coming from Lord Inuyasha, he had his head down and his shoulders were trembling, at first it sounded like he was coughing, but soon became obvious that he was chuckling. Everyone watched in shock and fascination as his quiet chuckle turned into full blown laughter. No one knew what to do this situation was unheard of, the girl who had her dress ruined was to shocked to realize his highness was laughing at her. His laugh continued for a good few minutes until it slowly died down, he then stood up to make an announcement.

"Alright that's enough of these presentations, let's get back to the party", he said before sitting back down. The music continued and everyone just acted like they hadn't just heard Lord Inuyasha laugh at something which had never happened before. Kagome took the opportunity to leave while everyone was distracted and stepped out into the hall and let her face finally heat up with embarrassment.

"Are you alright your highness?" Koga asked concerned for his friend, as far as he knew Inuyasha never laughed or chuckled at anything. He thought back to all the bad jokes and attempts he made to get Inuyasha to lighten up, if he knew spilling a drink on some prissy noble brat was all it took he would have done it years ago, or perhaps it was really Kagome that made him laugh.

"I'm fine, more than fine actually", if his face wasn't covered everyone would be able to see him smiling. Inuyasha truly couldn't remember the last time he laughed or actually smiled a genuine smile like that. It felt like ages, it felt...good. It felt like he had finally regained something that was once lost. Inuyasha wondered what else he had lost to time and bitterness that Kagome might find in him.

THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS

While the castle's festivities were taking place someone used it as an opportunity to sneak out and travel to the North Mountains of Lunaria. Deep in the heart of the icy mountains north to the kingdom, in the darkest cavern a black cloaked figure wearing an old baboon mask. The man carried a lantern in one gloved hand and a jar of some opaque green liquid in the other while he walked down the carved stone steps that led him further into the pitch darkness. Naraku had been studying the rain water infused with Lord Inuyasha's magic for the past few days. He had yet to learn how to extract or completely control it, but what he did figure out was that he could alter the water by exposing the magic to something else. For now he could only change the rain water into another liquid, in this case a jar of corrosive acid.

Naraku finally reached the bottom of the steps only to walk into a gigantic cavern shrouded in endless darkness. He used the lantern to find his way through the abyss coming to a stop when he spotted humungous sets of iron chains; each individual link was about the size of an average man. Naraku followed one of the chains until he started to hear the sound of breathing come from the black void, loud and echoing all around him.

"Are you there? Awaken?" Naraku spoke into the darkness; the breathing turned into angry growls as whatever was there must have awoken and wasn't too happy about it. "I have a proposition for you", at the notion of this two giant pure red eyes opened standing out like large round rubies in the infinite black.

"Ah, I have your attention now", Naraku chuckled while the beast in the cavern growled. "I know who you are and I know what King Taisho's son did to you, and I want to help you", the creature didn't speak or more likely couldn't speak properly due to the severity of the transfiguration he was subjugated to. Lord Inuyasha saved the full transformations for the worst criminals the kingdom had to offer and those his highness despised like Naraku himself and this creature left to rot in a dark prison.

"How would you like to be free?" the beast let out what sounded like a pleased growl. "You still understand what that word means don't you. Freedom", the sound of large feet stomping the stone ground echoed throughout the cavern. Naraku could have laughed in that moment, instead he held up the jar in his other hand.

"This contains a powerful acid, a few drops on a single chain could dissolve it and free you from the bindings", those words seemed to be lost on the beast, decades of being trapped here must have destroyed what was left of his mind, but one thing it clearly understood was that the black cloaked man could free him.

"Do you want me to free you, Ryukotsei?" the creature in the dark let loose a loud bellowing roar in response, clearly it still remembered its own name at least. Naraku chuckled as his plan was coming to fruition.

"Then you shall have it. I only ask that you destroy Lord Inuyasha and his kingdom", the beast roared once again, louder this time, it seems it also remembered the name of the one who turned him into this monstrosity.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait, some stuff happened recently in my life that I don't want to talk about. On a lighter note I recently discovered an anime series called Kill La Kill and I fell in love with the series, so some of my free time is going to that. Also I'm trying to juggle my other unfinished stories, plus I started writing the first chapter to the sequel of Magic Cat.**

 **This was a tricky chapter to write, I wanted to have a ball take place, but I had trouble figuring out why Lord Inu would throw one, so I went with it's mainly a reward for the charity work the nobles do. Naraku's evil schemes are starting to roll right along aren't they? Next chapter will be the wrap up of the ball, should Inu and Kagome have a dance before the party ends?**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	6. Chapter6: Wrath of The Dragon

**Wrath of the Dragon**

Kagome made her way back to the ballroom after an hour of working up the courage to go back due to that earlier embarrassment. She figured the people would have forgotten by now as she walked back inside. Kagome noticed that most of the people had left by now as it was late into the night, the musicians were still here though and a few servants were picking up plates, glasses and cleaning tables. She walked over to the main table where his highness was the only one left still there.

"I didn't think you would come back", Lord Inuyasha was actually surprised to see her back her after that little drink fiasco.

"Sorry", Kagome bowed politely.

"Don't apologize, watching you spill your drink on that brat was quite amusing", he said taking a sip of his drink while watching her sit down in the chair next to him.

"I didn't know that's all it took to make you laugh", Kagome remarked.

"I don't…normally laugh", Inuyasha stared at her in thought wondering how this woman could affect him so much.

"What do you mean? It's completely normal to laugh, especially at something you find funny", Kagome wondered how someone couldn't laugh like a normal person.

"I'm saying I haven't laughed in decades", he blurted out Inuyasha watched her eyes widen in shock and realization at his confession.

"Are you serious?" Kagome couldn't believe that was true.

"When am I not serious Kagome?" He looked back at her with a blank stare before filling up her empty glass.

"You know it wouldn't hurt to be a little not serious sometimes. It wouldn't hurt to have a little fun", Kagome took a sip of her drink while looking at him. Inuyasha thought about what she said and decided that she made a good point, it wouldn't kill him to have a smidge of fun once and a while. Perhaps he should start now.

"You may have a point, on that note would you care to dance?" Kagome almost choked on her drink.

"E-excuse me?" Inuyasha stared blankly at her.

"I said, would you care to dance, with…me?" He paused for a moment to hear her answer.

"Uh, sure", Kagome stood up followed by Lord Inuyasha, there weren't that many people left in the ballroom, so they could have a little time to themselves. His highness snapped his fingers and the musicians played a slow paced song to dance to. He held his hand out to escort her to the dance floor, Kagome smiled at the gesture and took his hand. He may have a cold hard exterior, but Inuyasha knew how to be courteous to a lady.

"Just follow my lead", Inuyasha led her through the slow steps of their waltz.

"I know how to dance your highness", Kagome told him following his steps with a cheerful smile.

"I'd prefer you just use my name when we're alone like this", he whispered into her ear making her blush profusely.

"O-oh okay…Inuyasha", Kagome looked into his golden yellow eyes seeing something other than his normal icy stare. His eyes almost looked warm and bright, like twin suns as they stared into her own chocolate brown eyes. "Could you remove your bandages while we dance?" she asked without thinking, well actually she was thinking, all Kagome could think about was wanting to see his face again.

"I'm not so sure about that", he looked around at the few people still in the ballroom.

"Oh come on, just keep your hood up, they won't be able to see you", she forgot how stubborn he was.

"Well if you wish", Inuyasha slid the black cloth bandages down, revealing the bottom half of his face. Kagome smiled seeing the handsome face that was ingrained into her mind ever since he first revealed it to her. He was still the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. While she was admiring him, Inuyasha was doing something similar while looking at her.

'Now that I'm looking at her this close, she's actually very beautiful', he thought while he continued to dance holding her close. Unknown to them little by little their lips were inching closer and closer to each other, but just before they met in the middle a large loud earthquake interrupted them making them pull away.

"What was that?" Kagome stopped dancing looking around, the chandeliers above them where shaking along with the castle.

"That came from…the north, the mountains. Impossible, it can't be", Inuyasha slipped the clothe wraps back on his face and left the ballroom in a rush without a word. Kagome followed behind him having difficulty keeping up with his quick pace. Koga seemed to appear out of nowhere in a state of slipping his armor on with some woman's lipstick still on his neck.

"What the hell was that your highness?" the wolf leader asked a little grumpily while adjusting his clothes, he just pulled himself away from Ayame to deal with this.

"Something's coming from the north mountains", Inuyasha said without pausing in his march.

"What's coming?" Kagome asked, Inuyasha finally stopped and turned to look at her a little surprised that she had followed him, but her company was most opportune.

"Kagome I need you to tell the other guests to leave and return to their homes, on second thought it might be best if they stay here", he ordered, before Kagome could question a loud monstrous roar resounded somewhere outside startling everyone except his highness. "Now Kagome!"

"Right", she left carry out her orders passing by a frantic and screaming Shippou.

"Shippou what did you see?" Lord Inuyasha asked quickly putting his hand on the kid's shoulder to calm him down as he was trying to catch his breath.

"Really big…black…wings…red eyes…breathing fire", the fox boy gasped out.

"Go help Kagome", he commanded sternly and continued down the hall. The boy groaned and ran after her.

"Your highness please tell me what is going on", Koga followed after his lord as another roar echoed from outside.

"Ryukotsei", Inuyasha said with venom.

"Who is Ryukotsei?" Koga noticed they were headed down to the vaults with great haste.

"It's more a question of what he is", Inuyasha used his magic to open the doors to the vaults. "You remember when I told you how my father died?"

"Wait I remember now, so he's the bastard that poisoned the king?" Koga wondered what kind of a disgusting coward would do that.

"I paid him back tenfold for what he did by turning him into the worst thing I could imagine and imprisoned him deep in the heart of the northern mountains", Inuyasha approached a large ornate chest with gold carvings of phantom dogs on it and the word 'Fang', carved in old Lunarian language.

"And now whatever monster you turned him into is running amuck in the kingdom", Koga put the pieces together.

"Exactly, and it's my responsibility to deal with it", Inuyasha opened the chest revealing a long object wrapped in clothe.

"Your highness let us your loyal soldiers deal with this creature", the wolf leader bowed respectfully.

"No, I must deal with him, if anybody else approaches that thing, they'll die", it was harsh, but the truth. Inuyasha gently picked up the clothed item with great care. 'Father, I failed you once, but not again', he removed the clothe revealing an old worn out looking sword in its scabbard.

UPSTAIRS

In the main hall of the castle, the party guests were busy arguing and to some extent panicking. Any normal person would after hearing the earthquakes followed by those continued ghastly roars outsides. Kagome didn't have time to feel scared though, she was too busy trying to follow her orders. She didn't want to disappoint Inuyasha, not after they had gotten so close. Shippou appeared and tried to help get everyone to calm down, but it wasn't working.

"That's it", Kagome furiously took off her nice shows, tied her hair in a loose tail and grabbed a nearby chair. Shippou looked at her curiously, wondering what she was up to as she dragged it to the center of the hall. Kagome lifted the bottom of her black strapless dress up so she could stand on the chair.

"EVERYONE SHUTUP!" she yelled cupping her mouth. Those with animal ears like Shippou were extra sensitive to loud noises and flinched at her volume. Everyone grew deathly quiet as they turned to face the girl.

"Good, now that I have your attention, Lord Inuyasha has asked that you all remain here until the problem outside has been resolved", Shippou had informed her on the way to the hall that some giant terrible monster was flying around the kingdom wreaking havoc.

"Why should we listen to you?" one of the nobles in the crowd asked.

"Because it's an order from his highness and he'll turn you all into toadies if you don't listen", the fox boy said standing up for Kagome.

"Thanks Shippou, hey is there like a guest wing or something in the castle?" she asked, it would a good place to put the people for now.

"As a matter of fact there is", Shippou smiled, Kagome was quite the problem solver. The fox boy was always surprised with how much the castle staff seemed to like her, he was beginning to like her too.

OUTSIDE

Outside on the roof of one of the castle towers, the black hooded figure of Naraku stood observing the chaos raining down on the large town bellow.

"I must say I've really outdone myself", Naraku laughed watching the large dragon spew fire on another building.

"All that beautiful power locked away for years in the mountains, it's magnificent!" he laughed even louder as he admired his handy work. The balcony doors opening on the main part of the castle caught his attention, silencing him as he watched. Lord Inuyasha stood on the balcony this time wearing a light white cloak, loose white pants, no shirt or shoes and cheap gray bandages to cover his mouth and neck.

"Are you sure you can handle this my lord?" Koga asked.

"Of course, you doubt me now?" Inuyasha asked observing the destruction of his kingdom.

"No not at all", Koga smirked at him.

"Tell the soldiers to start putting out the fires as they evacuate the citizens", Lord Inuyasha closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate. "Ryukotsei was probably the biggest mistake I ever made".

"Do you regret what you turned him into?" Koga didn't think his highness had any regrets.

"No, I regret not killing him when I had the chance", Inuyasha floated up into the air as what looked like a small white cloud formed beneath his feet. He then took off on the cloud heading towards the giant dragon that was destroying the kingdom. Koga watched amazed that he used his cloud ability, he once asked how he can create a cloud if his power was transfiguration and his highness said that he just transfigures the air into a solid cloud to stand and fly on.

"Time to go to work", Naraku said watching his highness fly off before climbing down from the tower.

The giant black dragon known as Ryukotsei continued to attack the town, setting fire to homes and buildings. The people screamed and fled in absolute terror, the wolf soldiers were busy trying to put out fires and get the citizens to safety. Lord Inuyasha confronted the beast on his cloud drawing his sword, the blade was worn out and rusted looking, making it look harmless at first.

"Ryukotsei!" he shouted getting the dragon's attention. "That's enough, stop this now and surrender!" the creature roared and response breathing fire at the one responsible for his transformation and imprisonment. The flames were turned into water before they reached him and fell below to douse the burning buildings.

"Alright I guess talking is beyond you now", Inuyasha channeled his power into the blade that his father had forged specifically to help him control his power and use it to protect the people in the kingdom. In an instant the sword increased in size, shaping itself into a large fang shaped blade with white fur atop the hilt.

"Don't make me kill you", the beast roared again before flapping its enormous wings and flying off. Inuyasha gave chase on his cloud, the dark night sky was making it a little difficult to spot the dark dragon. He was nearly knocked out of the sky when it turned and took a swipe at him with its claws.

"Cheap shot!" Inuyasha used his fang shaped sword to cut the dragon across its scaled chest. Ryukotsei growled in pain and retaliated by swinging his tail around to smack Inuyasha hard through the air. He quickly reformed his cloud and regained his balance lest he plummet to the ground.

"If there's anything left of the old you in there, you'll stop this madness Ryukotsei", the dragon just growled in response.

'That's odd, I don't remember taking away his speech', Inuyasha thought. In fact Ryukotsei should still be able to talk like a normal being, but he only growled and roared like a beast. 'I see, so his mind has been swallowed by this monstrosity'.

"Putting you down now would be an act of mercy", Inuyasha swung the sword at him horizontally sending a vortex of wind like a small tornado at the dragon. The wind based attack scrapped against its skin and knocked it off balance. Inuyasha didn't give him a chance to recover, with another swing of his massive sword he sent several twisters at the creature while it was falling. The barrage drove the dragon into the ground below, completely destroying a few buildings and cobblestone streets in the process.

"This is your last chance, stop this now. Don't make me kill you!" he called into the rubble hovering lower to the ground. He watched the dragon pull itself from the rock and debris when a sudden noise from behind caught his attention. Inuyasha turned his head to see a small girl with pink hair and cat ears watching them obviously terrified. He turned back just in time to see Ryukotsei charging straight towards him. If he dodged that girl would be crushed, so he made a quick decision. Inuyasha braced himself holding his sword up and using it to stop the dragon in its tracks by lodging the blade in its jaws. The consequences of his actions was having his sword pulled out of his hands and spat away followed by a large clawed hand knocking him into one of the burning buildings. Luckily he made the right decision, the girl was still alive, what must have been one of her parents came and grabbed her up taking her away from the danger.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha coughed up a bit of blood, it seeped into the gray bandages that hid his face. Jumping back into the destroyed street he faced the beast again, this time completely unarmed.

"Don't make me do this!" he tried to reason with Ryukotsei one last time, but it was in vain. The dragon savagely stomped towards him, vicious maw poised to devour him. Inuyasha closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. Just as Ryukotsei was almost upon him, he held his hand out and his sword suddenly flew into his open palm. With one quick slash he removed the dragon's head from its body. The severed head rolled past him as the body collapsed and twitched on the ground for a few seconds. Inuyasha looked down at the river of blood pouring from the neck hole and back to the blood staining his magnificent sword.

"I guess you've been avenged father", though it felt completely hollow. This didn't feel like a victory at all, more like putting down a deranged monster. Inuyasha formed another cloud beneath his feet and took off to the North Mountains. 'The question still remains, how did Ryukotsei free himself in the first place?'

AT THE CASTLE

While that was all taking place Kagome sat in the empty mess finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Getting all the guests to stop panicking and help set them up in the guest wing was mentally exhausting. Now that it was taken care of she could finally relax and reflect on what happened. There was some sort of monster attacking the kingdom, though from what she heard the wolf soldiers talking about his highness was dealing with it himself. Monsters and dragons don't just attack kingdoms, whatever this thing was it was safe to assume that it used to be a person before Lord Inuyasha transfigured it.

Thinking about his highness made Kagome blush at the memory of almost kissing him while they danced just a few hours ago. She wondered if she was actually attracted to him, well he was certainly attractive looking, very attractive, but was that all. No, Kagome could admit she was drawn to him ever since she first stood before him. Inuyasha was like a mystery, a puzzle that she couldn't help but want to put together. The problem was that those pieces were incredibly difficult to find within him.

"You look troubled", a voice said interrupting her thoughts. Kagome turned to see Naraku standing on the other side of her table which was odd since she didn't even hear him come in or make a sound walking up to her.

"What do you want?" Kagome eyed him suspiciously.

"It's been quite a stressful night and you looked like you could use some company Kagome", he glided over to a chair and sat down rather weirdly. Kagome could still see things moving around underneath his black cloak and wondered once again what he was turned into. "I get the feeling you don't like me very much".

"What gave you that idea?" Kagome said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm sure by now someone has told you what I did fifteen years ago", the silence in the room became almost creepy. "But what they probably won't tell you is how I've spent every waking moment regretting my actions, how I begged his highness for forgiveness for years, yet I'm an ignored and forsaken", Naraku sounded quite pitiful.

"You really want redemption?" Kagome thought he sounded sincere in his words.

"Yes of course", Naraku said almost desperately.

"Well I can't promise anything, but I'll talk to Lord Inuyasha. If I can at least get you an audience with him maybe then you can tell him what you told me", Kagome said trying to give him some hope, she didn't exactly like seeing anyone suffer. Even after killing that Kikyo woman he appeared honestly remorseful and repented his actions, and so Kagome believed he at least disserved a second chance, everybody did.

"Thank you Kagome, that's all I ask that you try", Naraku stood up and bowed gratefully to her and left her alone with her thoughts.

'So she thinks she can convince his highness to give me a chance. That right there tells me everything I need to know', he thought retreating back to his lair beneath the castle. Naraku now understood what was so special about the girl, if she believed herself important enough to speak to his highness about such matters then that must mean he viewed as important to him.

'Yes, I can definitely use her for my plans', he tapped his mask while chuckling to himself.

THE MOUNTAINS

At the northern mountains Lord Inuyasha floated down with his cloud to see the destruction caused by Ryukotsei's release. The top of one was blown open from the inside with a large hole big enough for the now dead dragon to crawl through. Inuyasha floated down the hole seeing claw marks and burnt rocks, but nothing yet that would indicate how it was freed. When he finally reached the underground caverns he found the chamber that he had bound Ryukotsei in. He formed a ball of light with his magical powers so he could look around for evidence.

'Now this is disturbing', Inuyasha examined the giant chains that imprisoned the dragon to find the ends melted off. He studied the damage trying to think of a substance that could melt the chains that he made himself. The only thing that could free Ryukotsei was his own power and that seemed preposterous. His thoughts were interrupted when he accidentally kicked a lantern that was left behind by whoever did this.

'This is quite troubling', he thought lifting up his only clue while wondering who would release such a monster upon the kingdom.

* * *

 **New chapter, yes its been a while hasn't it. It will probably be a little longer, because I recently lost my beautiful notebook hat I write down all my story ideas and plots in. I'll find it though even if I have to destroy this planet, I will find it.**

 **This was fun chapter to write, I was listening to the fullmetal alchemist brotherhood soundtrack while typing most of this. Inuyasha's sword is Tessaiga, but with a twist. Basically it weaponized his magical powers. He will use it again, don't worry.**

 **I almost let them kiss, almost.**

 **Next chapter will be a bit sad, so be prepared for that.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	7. Chapter7: A Death In The Family

**A Death in the Family**

Kagome dressed in her white maid outfit made her way to the royal wing. After the chaos yesterday she wasn't exactly sure what his highness wanted her do next about the guests, so Kagome decided to play it safe and follow her routine as she normally would and await for orders. She was surprised to find Lord Inuyasha not in his bedroom, in fact the room wasn't even touched since yesterday. After searching his personal wing for the magically gifted lord she decided to head to the throne room, perhaps his highness got an early start and forgot to inform her. She arrived only to find his highness was not there either, the only other place Kagome could think of was his office. The guards of course let her in being that she was Lord Inuyasha's personal servant. Kagome walked in to see the office was quite a mess, papers were scattered across his desk and falling on the floor, General Koga sat on one of the couches with his feet propped up on the table while two of his higher ranking subordinates stood behind him. Lord Inuyasha sat going over the reports with the wolves.

"Alright so the official story that can be made public is that a dangerous criminal who I had long ago transfigured into a dragon escaped incarceration, attacked the kingdom and I had no choice but to slay it", Inuyasha explained to his underlings, he didn't seem to notice Kagome walk in.

"That's the official story, but what's the real one?" Koga asked seriously. Inuyasha dismissed the two wolf captains with a wave of his hand. He finally turned to look at Kagome.

"Is there anything you need your highness?" Kagome bowed respectfully.

"Some tea would be nice", he remarked pointing to his empty cup. Kagome quickly made her way over to him and grabbed the tea pot, carefully pouring him another cup of tea. She noticed it was cold meaning that Inuyasha has been in here much earlier than she thought, Kagome also made a mental note to get him some warm tea when she had the chance.

"Kagome can you keep quiet about what is said here?" he asked looking her in the eyes. Kagome swallowed nervously at the intensity of his gaze.

"Yes, I can and will", she had a feeling that he was testing her with this and she had no intention of letting him down.

"The dragon was actually Ryukotsei", Inuyasha then went on to explain who that man was and why he got what he deserved. Kagome and Koga had both known of this already, but they were waiting to find out how and why that creature was set loose. "Someone freed him from the chains that I made to bind him".

"Who would do that though?" Kagome asked aloud.

"I think a better question is who could do that?" Koga added in. "Right now as it stands you are the only one with the power to undo those chains my lord".

"The locks on the chains were not released, they were melted by something which I have yet to identify", Inuyasha rubbed his concealed face in frustration. "Right now the nobles and guests are being returned safely to their homes and I'd rather not let everyone know of the treacherous slime we have lurking in the kingdom".

"That's right we don't want the bastard who did this to think he has the upper hand", Koga commented.

"For now we keep quiet about this and continue as normal, but keep an eye out for anything suspicious", Inuyasha ordered, he then moved on to the resulting damage caused by Ryukotsei which luckily wasn't that much considering most of the buildings caught in the fire were made mostly of brick and stone. The building that were completely destroyed could be easily replaced and fortunately no lives were lost in the attack, but there were quite a few injured. The wolf soldiers were after all very quick and efficient in saving the people.

After several hours of work Koga left to go eat lunch with Kagome while Inuyasha stayed behind to finish the orders to send money to the citizens that lost homes or businesses in the fires. While he watched his general and personal assistant leave together he couldn't help but glare jealously at them.

'Wait, jealous? Why would I be jealous? Whoever Kagome spends time with is her business', he thought getting back to work. However the thought of them talking and laughing together kept invading his mind, causing him to accidentally transfigure the pen in his hand into a dark prickly rose. He threw the object away and grabbed another pen trying to not let this rediscovered emotion get to him.

MESS HALL

"So who was that girl you were with yesterday?" Kagome asked taking a bite of her salad.

"Oh, are you worried you might lose me?" Koga taunted.

"Please, were not even dating", Kagome rolled her eyes, for the leader of an entire wolf pack and army Koga could be quite immature sometimes.

"That's right, you only have eyes for his highness, don't you?" Koga smirked watching her blush and quickly try to deny. "Come on, it's so obvious the way you look at him".

"I don't know what you're talking about", Kagome turned her head away to hide her reddening cheeks.

"Well I would have to be an idiot not to see the way your eyes stare longingly at him, or how you're so eager to assist him like a devoted wife, then there's also a nice little bit of gossip going around about how you and him danced at the ball…need I go on?" Koga grinned wolfishly while Kagome went wide eyed her face getting even redder in embarrassment.

"Does everybody know?" Kagome asked nervously, she hoped nobody else knew she secretly had a crush on Lord Inuyasha.

"Well apparently Kaede figured it out way before the rest of his, Shippou figured it out a week ago, your former horse Rin knows somethings up with you and him, and then there are those that like to talk", He continued to list the people that knew.

"Okay I get it, so everybody knows", Kagome sighed laying her forehead on the table.

"Well not everyone, the only person who doesn't know is his highness, Lord Inuyasha", Koga crossed his arms and leaned back. "You should tell him, he likes it when people are more forward with him".

"What if he doesn't like me back?" Kagome asked, that was her biggest fear and the only thing that kept her from voicing her feelings.

"Are kidding me!?" Koga shouted slapping his forehead. "He didn't transfigure you, he made you his personal servant so that way you would always be close, he invites you to have dinner with him once a week, he brought you to the ball as his date, and he even showed you his face. Kagome he more than likes you", Koga pointed his fork at her for emphasis.

"But I don't understand, what's so special about me?" Kagome looked down at her hands in thought.

"I don't know myself, there must be something he sees in you. The only way you'll find out is to ask him yourself", the wolf leader took a sip of his drink before getting up to leave giving her a wink and a goodbye. Kagome watched the back of his cape as he left her there with her thoughts. She wished that she could talk to Kaede about this, but apparently the old tree woman wasn't feeling well today and his highness forced her to take the day off.

THE NEXT EVENING

Lord Inuyasha had surprised Kagome yet again by inviting her to dinner. Unlike the other times he always ordered her to join him, this time he told her she could come if she wanted to, a huge step up in her opinion of him. She arrived at the royal dining hall just he was sitting down. The two of them ate in mostly awkward silence, making a few comments here and there. Kagome kept thinking about what Koga told her and was finding it difficult to focus on anything else. Lord Inuyasha seemed so much different now than he did during her first week here, he still had his rather cold exterior, but Kagome was beginning to see another side to him, one that he locked away for so long.

"When you're finished I have something I want to show you", he said taking a sip of his wine. When she finished eating Lord Inuyasha led Kagome outside. The sun had long set and the starry night sky could be partially seen through spaces in the clouds. They ended up in a garden outside the castle with many dead and lifeless flowers and on old gazebo that looked like it hadn't been maintained in years with vines growing over the rotted wood. There was an old dead tree with a broken swing attached to one of the branches in the center of the garden.

"Why did we come here…Inuyasha?" Kagome asked remembering to use his name when they were alone like he asked. He just sighed and took off the clothe bandages covering his face and pulled his hood down letting his long mercury hair loose.

"I wanted to show you this", he waved his hand out toward the garden letting his magical power wash over it in pulse of green light. Kagome watched in awe as life slowly then rapidly began to return to the plants and flowers, not just that, but the flowers were transformed into entirely new never before seen creations. She couldn't identify these new flowers and realized they were his design. Her eyes were drawn to the tree, the once dead tree was alive and well, the swing fully restored and the gazebo was like new. The display didn't stop there, hundreds of glowing tiny orbs floated up out of the flowers lighting up the garden with ecstatic beauty.

"This is…wow", Kagome couldn't take her eyes off this amazing sight.

"I'm glad you like it", Inuyasha actually smiled a genuine smile as he watched her admire his handiwork. "I heard that you like to read and I know how stuffy the library can be, so if you want you can come here to read and relax during your time off".

"Did you make this for me?" Kagome asked walking over to him.

"Yes, I did", the truth was that he wanted to make her more comfortable here for reasons known only to him. Inuyasha knew that one day soon she would have to leave this land and return to her family. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if that happened. Inuyasha thought about forcing her to stay here with him forever, but his stupid conscience wouldn't allow that, deep down he wasn't really cold hearted enough to keep Kagome here away from her home and family. He had to let her go, something he told himself every time he looked at her now.

"Why did you do this?" Kagome asked, every day now her preconceived notions of him went out the window. First he seemed cold and cruel, now he seemed like the sweetest guy she had ever met.

"Because I care, that's why", he said taking as step closer to her. Kagome bit her bottom lip and glanced around nervously like she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure if she should.

"Forgive me your highness!" She blurted out startling Inuyasha, before he could comment on her odd behavior Kagome had closed the distance between them and stood up on her toes to deliver the best kiss of his life. He was shocked at first then he found himself kissing her back, wrapping his arm gently around her waist. Eventually they pulled away for some much needed air.

"I-I'm so sorry", Kagome said quickly and made to leave, Inuyasha's hand on her wrist stopped her. She was so embarrassed that she actually kissed his highness that she couldn't even look at him. Inuyasha grabbed her by the chin with his other hand and forced her to look at him. Kagome paused seeing the warm glow in his golden eyes before he turned away and let her go.

"Good night Kagome", was the last thing he said to her that evening. Kagome took the invitation to leave, though something in his voice made her blush. It lacked his normal icy tone and sounded almost playful. When she arrived back in her room se threw herself on the bed and buried her pink face into the pillow.

'I kissed him, I actually kissed him', she kept repeating over and over in her head. Kagome stripped out of her dress and sat down at the desk in her white lace underwear and bra. Flipping open her journal she turned to a new page, Kagome didn't have anything new to add to the story so she decided to write about what happened this evening. It felt good to get her thoughts out on paper, but eventually her imagination drifted and Kagome ended up writing Inuyasha's name down several times while she fantasized about the magical prince.

'Do I like him? Do I love him?' She wondered. Kagome thought about every interaction they shared, every moment, the look in his eyes when he watched her talk or move about, the kind gestures and the kiss they shared tonight. "I…love him, I'm in love with him", she finally admitted to herself.

'What do I do now? He's a prince, ruler of a whole kingdom, I'm just a girl, I'm just Kagome to him', were her final thoughts on the matter before going to bed nude, not bothering to put on sleeping clothes.

In another part of the castle Inuyasha sat on the balcony of his own personal quarters. He stood staring out into the night wearing only a pair of loose gray pants for sleeping in. Inuyasha's thoughts revolved around one person, Kagome and what she meant to him.

'She kissed me, she kissed me and yet I still crave more', he thought staring up at the sky. Inuyasha was growing more and more attached to Kagome with each passing day. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his resolve in letting her go home. The funny thing was that he had never wanted anything this badly in his life. Inuyasha father, while he was the king, was never a greedy man despite the vast wealth the royal family possessed and taught Inuyasha to be the same. So why did he want to completely and utterly possess Kagome, but not as an object. He wanted her spirit, her personality, but mostly he wanted her heart in his hand.

'Her face, her voice, her smile', Inuyasha thought about all the things of Kagome that he looked forward to everyday. 'Not to mention the way she talks to me with such honesty and purity', it was refreshing actually to be able to communicate with someone who didn't fear his power, someone from the outside world far away from this kingdom.

"I have to do something about this", Inuyasha spoke quietly to himself as he walked back inside from the balcony. He made his way to his bedroom thinking hard about the issue at hand. There was no law or rule that said he had to marry a princess, someone of nobility or royalty, so in truth he could have anyone he wanted regardless of their status or family. His father married his mother the sorceress Izayoi was neither rich nor royal and Inuyasha knew he could do the same if he so wished. He went to bed that night thinking about how he could possibly acquire Kagome's heart.

* * *

The next morning Kagome arrived in his chambers to continue her duties of laying out a cloak for him to wear while he bathed, she choose a very special one that she thought he might like, it was mostly orange that faded into red at the sleeves and bottom of the robe and lined with yellow. When he dressed and greeted her out in the hall neither of them could look at each other without blushing. Luckily Inuyasha's face was hidden by white cloth bandages so she couldn't see his blush, but Kagome had no such mask to hide her face, her red dusted cheeks were out on display for all to see. She quickly cleaned his bedroom and delivered the laundry before heading to the throne room regaining her composure along the way.

"Where's miss Kaede your Highness?" Kagome asked seeing a member of the kitchen staff who appeared to be crossed with a cat bring his breakfast and not the usual old tree woman.

"Apparently she's still sick, I called for a doctor this morning to take a look at her", Lord Inuyasha said taking a sip of his morning tea.

"Do you think she'll be alright my lord?" Kagome sounded worried.

"Of course, that old wench is too stubborn, she'll be up and out of bed by tomorrow I bet", he sounded so sure, little did they know the old woman wouldn't be making an appearance the next day.

Kagome was in the middle of bringing some important documents to Inuyasha in his office when she was stopped in the middle of the hall by general Koga and Shippou. Both had solemn looks on their faces as they told her to come with them quickly. Apparently Kaede's health had not improved and seemed to be failing, the doctor said this had started over a week ago, the old woman just didn't want to bother anyone with it at the time, but now she was bed ridden with so little time left.

"She's in there, she wanted to see you", Koga said quietly pointing to the door to Kaede's room, several other staff members and familiar faces were crowded in the hall around her door including some family members whom Kagome didn't know.

"Why does she want to see me?" Kagome asked sounding unsure about this.

"Doc says she doesn't have much time before she…before she goes. Kaede said she wanted to speak to you… one last time, said she had something important she wanted to tell you", Koga nudged her towards the door with a light push. Kagome walked into the room closing the door behind her, it was a rather simple room like her room, but much more spacious and had its own bathroom connected to it. Kaede laid on the bed by the window, her breathing was shallow as she stared out the open window that let in a cool breeze.

"Kagome dear", the old woman called over. Kagome slowly approached the bed swallowing the lump in her throat at the weak sight of the woman who was always so kind to her and everyone in the castle.

"D-do you need anything?" Kagome stuttered out.

"No child, just come closer", Kagome kneeled to next the bed and took Kaede's shriveled wooden hand in hers, even the bark that made up her skin was slowly crumbling away. "Before I'm gone I wish to thank you".

"For what?" Kagome didn't understand what she did for her.

"Look out the window", Kaede turned her head and looked out into the kingdom. It was a bright and sunny day, not that many clouds and the temperature was just right which was odd up here in the north. "Long before you came here we rarely got to see the sun, his highness controls the weather with his power and he only moves the clouds for farmers and the town when he's in a good mood".

"I'm not sure what you mean", Kagome looked from her to the window in confusion.

"I noticed that the sun comes out more…ever since you…came here", Kaede coughed a bit. Kagome's eyes widened in realization, she didn't notice how the days seemed much brighter then when she originally arrived in these lands. "When I'm gone…don't let him go back to how he was, don't let…Inuyasha go back to cold prince he was", she said coughing up more.

"I promise I won't let him go back", Kagome said tearing up a little, she didn't have the heart to deny the old woman's request and she didn't want to either way. There was knock at the door interrupting her thoughts, opening the door Kagome was greeted to the sight of Lord Inuyasha himself standing in the doorway.

"Kagome wait outside with the rest, Koga don't let anyone in till I leave", he ordered sternly leaving no room for argument. Kagome did as she was told and left the room letting the commander of the wolf army close the door behind her leaving his highness alone with Miss Kaede. Inuyasha pulled his hood down and removed the clothe that hid his face.

"Now there's a sight I haven't seen in ages", Kaede commented looking upon the face of the prince.

"If I recall I wanted to show you before, but you refused", Inuyasha remarked back, he grabbed a chair from the nearby table and placed it next to the bed where he sat down crossing his arms over his chest.

"I preferred to remember you the way you were before all that greed and vanity from the people poisoned you against humanity", Kaede had to stifle another coughing fit. Inuyasha picked up the glass of water next to the bed and helped her to take a sip.

"I'm not like I was back then, nor am I like my younger kinder self, I feel different, it's a new feeling", Inuyasha said warmly.

"I noticed, a lot of us noticed how different you are now thanks to Kagome", Kaede chuckled lightly.

"You think she's the cause?" he questioned.

"Of course, my only regret is that I won't be around to cater the wedding", Kaede smiled up at him, Inuyasha actually let out a chuckle at that telling her not to get ahead of herself. When she wasn't looking he clasped her hand with his letting his power cover in a green light for a moment. Kaede looked down at her had to see wrinkled and pale human skin instead of wood and bark. Not only that, but she could see with both eyes again, her left eye was lost a long time ago when she was a child in an accident.

"Your Highness?" Kaede looked down at her human hands in thought.

"You turned down my offer years ago, but I'm not giving you a choice this time", Inuyasha thought it was better that she pass on as a human being rather than what he made her into. In fact decades ago he asked her if she would want to be turned back to normal, but Kaede said she preferred her form the way it was. He would have even offered to extend her life, but he knew she would refuse.

"Thank you", Kaede watched him get up and put his hood up while covering his face.

"Rest in peace", was his final words to her before he walked out the door and told her family that they could attend to her now. Kagome followed after him as he hurried down the halls. He moved too quickly for her and she ended up losing track of him and spent several hours trying to find where Inuyasha went. She eventually found him in his personal wing of the castle, in the main sitting quarters.

"My lord?" Kagome approached Inuyasha as he sat in a cushioned arm chair facing out the large window. The sun was just beginning to set in the horizon. "Would you like me to get you some tea?"

"No thanks", he said emotionlessly. Kagome remembered the promise she made to Kaede and no intention of letting her down. Before she could speak Lord Inuyasha began to talk. "Do you know the irony of this situation is?" Kagome just shook her head in response, not sure where this question would lead. "For the longest time I despised the people of Kaede's generation, they were what made me the ruler I am. That old woman was the last living person of that generation, I used to think that I would finally be happy once they were all dead and gone", he turned to look at Kagome who finally saw the look of pain in his golden eyes. "So then why does it hurt so much?" something in his voice cracked a bit making Kagome tear up, that was tone she had never heard from his mouth.

"The people we cherish, when they die it's supposed to hurt", Kagome stood closer to him and placed her hand on top of his. "The pain tells us that we cared for them, so much that the loss hurts", she was also speaking for the death of her own father who she still thought about frequently.

"When did you become so wise?" Inuyasha asked her with smile, another rare sight to see upon his face. Kagome finally noticed that he had left his face uncovered and that brought a smile to her lips to see that he was learning not to keep hiding himself.

"You know thinking of happy memories can help take away most of that pain", Kagome told him.

"Is that so?", Inuyasha gestured to the chair next to him for her to sit down.

* * *

Deep below the castle in the hidden room Naraku used for conducting his research and nefarious work, he stood staring in awe at the fruits of his labor. A small pink and purple round jewel that hung from a chain necklace. After years of patience and pilfering old documents he was able to discover a precious secret of the late king Taisho. A lost page from a forgotten journal of the king spoke of a jewel that he along with his sorceress wife created. This jewel was made when Lord Inuyasha was but a child and his power was just coming into his power. His mother and father feared that their son could lose control of his great power and hurt himself so they created this special gem to absorb and drain him of his power.

It took a long time to study and analyze Lord Inuyasha's magical power as well as create a jewel similar to the one his parents made, but now he finally had one. All Naraku needed was to get close enough to his highness and the jewel would suck out all of his power. However those accursed wolf soldiers would never let him near his highness especially their wretched leader. Naraku knew his only chance would be if Kagome would keep her word and get him and audience with Lord Inuyasha, once that happened.

"Check mate", he laughed with the jewel in his grasp.

* * *

"Kaede started out here when she was a young teenage girl, younger than yourself actually", Inuyasha explained with amusement in his eyes. "She was just a regular staff member until the head of the staff at the time moved her to work in the kitchen".

"She did well there I imagine", Kagome said, Inuyasha just chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"Not quite, the girl was a nervous wreck working in the castle, I hadn't transfigure the population yet, but I did have a rather large temper back then in my younger years", he remembered how nervous the staff was around them, how even the slightest annoyance could set him off, part of it was attributed to the recent death of his father. "Some of the other kitchen staff thought it would have been funny to have the poor terrified girl bring me and my mother our dinner. When she arrived in the dining hall carrying our soup she was shaking so much that she spilled the soup all over the floor in front of us".

"Oh my goodness", Kagome covered her mouth feeling so sorry for the younger Kaede. It must have been enormously embarrassing to humiliate herself in front of the queen and prince like that.

"The head of the cooking staff came out and started reprimanding Kaede and the girl started to break down and cry. However my mother wouldn't stand for that and asked who allowed the untrained girl to serve us our meal", his mother had a sweet yet intimidating look on her face back then whenever people picked on those smaller, weaker or less experienced than themselves. "My mother marched right into the kitchen after that. I didn't see or hear what happened, but those two staff members who set Kaede up never worked in the kitchen again", he smirked thinking back on it.

"Really your mother was that angry?" Kagome knew how tough moms could be.

"I didn't get my temper from just my father", Inuyasha's suddenly fell at the mention of his father King Taisho. Kagome noticed the change in his mood and asked him what was wrong. "After decades the wound of his death still hurts".

"I know how you feel", Kagome said sympathetically. Inuyasha pulled his cloak off and leaned forward with a sigh.

"Kagome there's something I want to tell you that I've never told anyone", he took a moment to prepare himself before continuing. Kagome's eyes went wide in surprise that he trusted her enough to tell her what she would soon discover to be his closest kept secret.

"Would you like to know the true reason I hide my face from everyone?"

* * *

 **How do you like that cliffhanger? How do you like this chapter, I knew from chapter one I was going to have to kill off Kaede, I chose old age to do her in. Her death is going to signify change from here on out as Inuyasha said she was the last of her generation that made him what he is. Also shed some light on what Naraku is scheming. Will it work? Who knows?**

 **Someone messaged me asking what time period this all takes place in. I can't say myself as I tried to make it like a Disney story (some of them) where you can never really tell what time period it takes place in.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter8: Unmasked

**Unmasked**

"You remember what I told you before right?" Lord Inuyasha asked her.

"You said that you hid your face to deny the people the sight of a normal human", Kagome always thought that seemed petty and childish, it was also pointless since he let her walk around uncovered and she wasn't transfigured.

"That was a lie, mostly", Inuyasha sighed. "The truth is…I can't stand the sight of myself".

"Inuyasha?" Kagome wasn't sure what he could mean by that.

"My father asked me to take care of the people, to keep them happy", he looked down sadly, "And I failed, I let my father down, if he could see me now he'd be disappointed in me", Inuyasha clutched his forehead. "The true reason I hide my face is because I'm ashamed of what I've become…", he was interrupted when Kagome suddenly moved to sit next him and wrapped her arms around him. "What?" Inuyasha stiffened at the contact, but soon relaxed into her hold.

"I think your father would have been proud of you no matter what", Kagome said while quietly sobbing into his chest, Inuyasha wouldn't cry so she would have to cry for him.

"I'll never know, but the whole kingdom despises me, doesn't that mean I failed", Kagome chuckled and wiped away her tears she pulled away to look at him with a smile.

"You really need to get out more, the people don't hate you", many of the people she talked to in the castle and in the town below respected and revered their lord, but were still somewhat afraid of his power. If Inuyasha went down there to visit with the citizens perhaps he could reconnect with his people and see that he hasn't really failed his father.

"I haven't left the castle grounds in such a long time, I'm not even sure what it looks like down there", Inuyasha sounded unsure of this.

"But you'll do it, you'll go down and visit the people?" Kagome really wanted to show him how wonderful his kingdom truly was.

"Alright, but you're coming with me Kagome", he wasn't going down there alone.

"Let's go this weekend", Kagome knew they would probably be having the funeral for Kaede tomorrow and wanted to wait and not draw attention away from the ceremony.

"Fine", he sounded almost unhappy with the situation, but deep down he was actually a little excited to see the kingdom again on a normal day without fighting some awful dragon or repelling an invasion.

The next day a funeral service for Kaede was held in the town's church, Inuyasha gave the staff the day off for those who wished to attend the service. He had no intention of going though as he had already said his goodbyes the day before. The next few days went by fast as everyone returned to their normal duties. Friday evening Lord Inuyasha gather his second in command Koga and the other staff heads for a meeting.

"I'll be spending time away from the castle this weekend", everyone gasped in surprise, his highness never left the castle grounds unless there was an emergency.

"Your highness, is there a problem we are not aware of?" General Koga asked in a concerned voice.

"No, I simply wish to spend some time in the kingdom, while I'm gone I expect you lot to take care of the castle", he ordered from his end of the table.

"Will you be needing guard or escort my lord?" Koga asked.

"I'll only be bringing my personal assistant Kagome, she should be enough", realization suddenly dawned on the wolf leaders face as well as several others at the table. "Dismissed", everyone stood up and bowed respectfully and left the royal dining hall except for Koga.

"So you and Kagome are having a romantic getaway", he teased.

"Not like that fool, she thinks a few days to see the kingdom would be good for me and I agreed to go along with it", Inuyasha didn't tell him the real reason was to find out if the people hated him or not. "While I'm gone I need you to keep a close eye on things here, we still don't have any leads on who freed Ryukotsei. I suspect they might try something when word reaches that I'm not in the castle".

"Don't worry if the snake in our midst tries anything I'll take care of them", the wolf grinned showing his fangs. Inuyasha was glad he had someone like Koga that he could trust to leave in charge of the castle.

THE NEXT DAY

Both Lord Inuyasha and Kagome decided to forgo the carriage and go to the town on their own horse. Inuyasha rode on large solid white horse while Kagome rode next to him on a smaller brown one. He also wore a white hooded cloak, white buttoned shirt and pants with black boots giving the overall appearance of a pale wraith or phantom while Kagome wore a simple sundress and sandals, preferring to travel in comfort.

"You should relax", Kagome smiled at him as they headed down the sloped road that connected the town from the castle.

"I am relaxed Kagome", he said dryly.

"You don't look relax, in fact I would say your nervous", Kagome eyed him suspiciously.

"I do not get nervous", he turned to look at her with a humorless stare. Upon arriving in the main street of the town the people stopped what they were doing and watched in shock as their ruler in the flesh rode passed them on a horse. Soon an entire crowd was gathered before him.

"That's his highness", one whispered.

"What is Lord Inuyasha doing here, he never leaves the castle", another whispered.

"That's not true, he came here to fight that dragon", more people began to gossip. Eventually Kagome tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

"Well say something", she looked at him expectantly. Inuyasha turned to look at the crowd stopping his horse.

"Greetings!" he waved at them awkwardly. Everyone grew silent until someone bravely stepped out of the crowd.

"My name is Mairon Ariam, I'm the towns' black smith", said the handsome man in his late twenties with long fiery orange hair and matching large bird wings on his back, wearing a typical black smith outfit with rolled up brown sleeves and thick apron. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person milord. I don't know if you remember me, but it was your commissions that saved my business years ago".

"I do remember you. I commissioned your workshop to make the weapons for my army. They were and still are great quality weapons", Inuyasha complimented.

"T-thank you m-milord", he blushed with pride at being told he did a good job by the prince. A woman with light blue hair, cat ears, fluffy tail and wearing a blue dress came out of the crowd next and bowed before his highness.

"My name is Crystal Argus, I want to thank you for your continued support in the orphan's home", she said respectfully. Inuyasha recognized her as one of the head masters of the school for orphaned children.

"Your welcome", Kagome smiled seeing she was right, the people did like him. After meeting many others who paid their respects and thanks to their ruler Inuyasha and Kagome got off their horses and decided to walk the town.

"It's been a long time since I walked these streets", Inuyasha reminisced about all the places his father used to take him when he was young. They passed a bakery he and his father used to go to and they would pick out something sweet to bring back to his mom. They even passed the church were his friend Kikyo used to teach, she was good person and good counsel for him, she didn't deserve to be murdered in cold blood.

"There's a restaurant up here I wanted to try", Kagome said taking his hand and leading him down the block. They arrived what looked like a small partially outdoor café.

"I don't remember this being here", Inuyasha commented walking in alongside her. They were quickly seated at a table by the courteous owner of the restaurant in a private area.

"So what do you think now?" Kagome asked sitting at the table across from him.

"About what?" Inuyasha took a sip from his freshly made tea the owner served him.

"Do you still think the people hate you?" Kagome watched his eyes stare foreword in thought. Inuyasha thought back to all the wide eyed smiling faces he saw today, all the grateful men and women whose lives were better off than he originally believed.

"They seem very happy, I thought they lived in misery for what I transfigured them into", he was honestly surprised, so maybe he wasn't the cold tyrant he thought he was.

"I told you, you're not a monster Inuyasha and nobody in the kingdom thinks you are", Kagome reached over and placed her hand over his. Inuyasha chuckled for a bit before reaching up to the bandages that hid the lower half of his face and neck.

"I see, then there's really no point in wearing this anymore", he quickly pulled off the clothe strips and removed his revealing his true face to the world once again.

"Y-you look b-better like this", Kagome blushed seeing his handsome face and long silvery hair once again. The owner nearly stumbled in surprise seeing his highness's face out on display. Everyone in the restaurant stopped what they were doing to stare in shock at Lord Inuyasha's face.

"Paint a picture, it will last longer", Inuyasha joked. After they ate Kagome led him to a small park that he didn't even remember existed. Inuyasha took off his cloak and used it as a blanket for them to sit on comfortably. He also used his magical power to bend a nearby tree and give them some shade.

"Kagome tell me, do you get homesick?" he asked.

"Well yeah, I do miss my family and friends back home", Kagome said drawing her knees up to her chest.

"You can leave then if you want. You're not a prisoner here Kagome, at least not anymore", he said sadly. As much as he wanted to keep her here with him, he couldn't bring himself to force Kagome to stay against her will.

"But I haven't finished my dad's book", Kagome stared him oddly, wondering if he was tired of her and wanted her to leave.

"I think you have more than enough material to finish it", Inuyasha figured she should have completed her book by now, she's been here for awhile now.

"Yeah I do, but somethings missing", Kagome plucked a blade of grass while she thought about it.

"What could possibly be missing?" Inuyasha asked running his fingers through his long mercury hair.

"I don't know, it just needs a proper ending", Kagome sighed. "I can't just end it where we're at right now, it wouldn't make sense. Fairy tales always have a happily ever after".

"It's not the same in the real world. Those happy endings rarely happen in our world, you'd have better chance asking the earth to split", Inuyasha scoffed bitterly. The one person he valued above anything else was going to leave him soon, so where's his happily ever after? Did he even deserve one?

"Well couldn't you force the earth to split? If you want something like a happy ending then wouldn't you fight for it?" Kagome asked him, Inuyasha looked stunned for a moment at her question before letting out a light chuckle.

"You know, your absolute right Kagome", he whispered in her ear. Inuyasha gave her a warm kiss on her cheek.

"Inu…", Kagome gasped as he kissed along her neck slowly and gently. "Ah! I think…we have an audience", she said stopping him and pointing to a nearby tree. Inuyasha stopped what was doing and looked where she was pointing to see a small girl with light pink hair and cat ears hiding behind a tree. He looked into her fearful purple eyes and motioned for her to come out of hiding and stand before him.

"What's your name?" Inuyasha asked a little intimidatingly. The little girl shook nervously too afraid to even speak.

"Can you tell us your name sweetie?" Kagome asked warmly to try and counteract his scary demeanor.

"Y-Y-Yuki, y-y-your highness", the girl stuttered bowing. Realization suddenly dawned on Inuyasha, he remembered seeing this girl on the night Ryukotsei attacked. He took a painful hit from the dragon to keep this child from getting crushed.

"Your that girl, I saw you the night the dragon attacked the town right?" Inuyasha watched her head turn up.

"Y-Yes, t-thank you f-for s-saving m-me Lord Inuyasha", Yuki bowed again. Inuyasha noticed her stuttering was not just from nervousness, it appeared she had some form of speech impediment.

"Come here Yuki", He asked her to come closer at least within reaching distance. It had been a long time since he used his power to fix things like this, but he figured it was worth a try. Inuyasha placed his hand on the girls head, his fingers then glowed with a yellow aura as he attempted to cure the girl of her speech disorder. "There how's that? Say pumpkin patch twisty sticks".

"Pumpkin patch twisty sticks", Yuki said eyes going wide at the lack of stutter in her voice. Inuyasha gave her a small smile and ruffled her short pink hair mindful of her cat ears. "Off you pop, go find your parents".

"Thank you, your highness!" It was Inuyasha's turn to be surprised as the child hugged him tightly before taking off to show her parents her now normal stutter less voice.

"That was a very kind thing you did", Kagome said sitting behind him and wrapping her arms around his chest in a hug.

LATER

That night they decided to stay at the nicest Inn. The owner of which welcomed them and offered them the best rooms free of charge. Lord Inuyasha was having none of that and paid the owner for both their rooms. In the middle of the night he woke up to the sound of a light knock on his door. Inuyasha got out of his bed in just a pair of white thin sleeping pants, opening the door he was greeted to the sight of Kagome in a just a loose gray sleeveless undershirt that was falling off her left shoulder that barely hid her white panties.

"Um, hi", Kagome gripped the end of her shirt nervously. "I couldn't sleep", Inuyasha was too tired to say a word, he simply grabbed her hand and led her into his room closing the door behind them. He laid down on his bed dragging Kagome to lay with him, wrapping his arms around her waist as he cuddled behind her. Kagome's heart pounded as he pressed his face to the back of her neck, and held her body close to his exposed chest.

'I don't think I'm ready to leave this land yet, I don't think I want to', she thought as she drifted off to sleep dreaming of what her life could be like if she stayed here in Inuyasha's kingdom. The following morning Kagome woke up and removed herself from his arms, she sat on the bed and watched Inuyasha sleep while playing with his hair.

"How long you going to do that?" he spoke suddenly, Kagome was startled for a moment and stopped stroking his silvery hair.

"Sorry", she moved her hand away, but he quickly caught her wrist.

"I didn't say stop", Kagome smiled and placed his head on her lap while she continued running her fingers through his bangs. Eventually they had to get up and eat breakfast which was served to them in their room. Inuyasha said he wanted to show her something today, something special. After they ate Inuyasha led her to the outskirts of the town and beyond.

"Close your eyes for a second", Kagome did as he asked and shut her eyes as he led her by the hand. Soon she could hear what sounded like water, Inuyasha told her to open her eyes and she was greeted to the sight of a crystal clear pool leading into a small river, but what really caught her attention was the beautiful waterfall on the other side. "I used to come here by myself when I was a kid a long time ago, I never told anyone about it".

"It's beautiful", Kagome walked to the edge and looked out into the water. She took off her shoes and dipped her foot in. "It's cold!" A splashing sound caught her attention, she turned to see Inuyasha get into the water wearing only a pair of black loose shorts.

"Are you getting in or not?" He asked waist deep in the water.

"I didn't exactly bring any sort of swim wear", Kagome said a little peeved that he didn't tell her that they would be swimming despite how sweet the surprise was.

"What kind of lord would I be if I said, be prepared to get wet today", Inuyasha said with a smirk.

"A perverted one", Kagome answered making him chuckle and wade further into the water.

"Just go in as you are, I brought you a change of clothes", Kagome decided what the hell and followed after him wearing her sundress into the water. "It's so cold, can't you us your power to make it warmer?" she complained.

"Nope, I like the cold the water", he said swimming towards Kagome. "I find it…refreshing", Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her through the water towards the slightly deeper area of the lake. "Check this out", Inuyasha pointed at the waterfall and channeled some of his power into the water causing the cascade to part and bend, forming a giant hole shaped like a heart.

"Oh, that's sweet", Kagome smiled and blushed at the kind gesture. "I didn't know you liked to show off".

"I used to, I'm rediscovering it", Inuyasha said letting the waterfall return to normal. "I'm rediscovering a lot of things".

"Really like what?" Kagome asked swimming closer to him.

"Things like humor, compassion, and attraction", he said slowly reaching out to caress a lock of her dark hair. Kagome blushed and sunk deeper into the water. Inuyasha chuckled at her adorable behavior and swam passed her. Several hours later they finally got out of the water, Inuyasha handed her a set of clothes before grabbing his own and stepping behind a bush to change. Kagome took off her wet clothes while she hid behind a large tree, she thought about Inuyasha getting changed a few yards away and curiosity got the better of her. Covering her nudity with her hands she peeked her head out from the side of the tree trunk and looked over to where he was changing. Kagome got a good view of his still wet toned body, her eyes followed the drops of water as they slid down his rock solid abs all the way down to his…

'Oh my god!' Kagome turned beat red as she ducked behind the tree before he could catch her staring. Inuyasha heard a noise and looked over to where she was changing wondering what that was all about.

'I can't believe I was checking him out', Kagome thought with her hands on her face. 'I'm turning into a pervert'. She quickly changed into a yellow robe that he provided her with and walked out from behind the tree. Inuyasha appeared wearing a white long robe over a black button up shirt and black pants.

"Let's head back to the town and get some lunch", he said walking up to her, his index finger and thumb glowed orange for a moment as he pinched her yellow sleeve, Kagome could feel her clothes getting warmer which felt nice after swimming in the cold lake for a few hours.

"Thank you", Kagome followed him back to the Inn where they had a nice meal delivered to his room. While they ate Kagome decided to bring something up that had been bothering her ever since he told her why he hid his face.

"Do you still feel ashamed of yourself Inuyasha", she asked. Inuyasha stopped eating and looked at across the small table. He thought about what he had seen since yesterday, that girl Yuki, and all the people who seemed happy despite what they had been made into.

"I don't know, there's no reason to hide my face anymore, so I guess there's nothing for me to feel ashamed of anymore", Inuyasha stared off into space. "I don't remember though", he murmured quietly.

"Remember what?" Kagome asked.

"I don't really remember what I look like", he admitted sadly, he'd been avoiding mirrors and never looking at his own face for decades. Kagome looked at him while trying not to cry, then she got an idea. Quickly standing up she took him by the hand and led him into the bathroom where a large mirror sat above the sink. She moved Inuyasha to stand directly in front of it, letting him get a good long look at his own face.

"Is that what I look like?" he asked touching his face in a curious manner, like a child discovering a mirror for the first time. Inuyasha turned his head to examine his face in detail, Kagome watched the whole scene sadly.

"This is what you look like", Kagome stood next to him in the mirror.

"Thank you", Inuyasha said gratefully.

THE NEXT DAY

The two of them returned to the castle the next day, ending their mini vacation. Lord Inuyasha immediately called a meeting with the heads of staff and general of the guard while Kagome returned to her room. Inuyasha said she could have the rest of the day off, but would have to return to her duties the next day. During the meeting the staff were shocked to see his highness was not wearing his usual coverings over his face. Koga just smirked, happy to see his lord and friend was done hiding himself. The rest of them were too scared to question his highness,

"So anything to report?" Inuyasha asked general Koga when they were finally alone. He wanted to know if he had discovered any news on the traitor in their midst.

"Nothing, I had the boys search the castle discreetly and they found nothing, not even a trace of this guy", Koga growled. "Whoever they are, they covered their tracks well, and we couldn't even pick up a scent trail leading out of the castle".

"This is problematic, I was actually looking forward to punishing this heinous criminal after my break", Inuyasha sighed.

"I take you and Kagome had fun?", he joked.

"If by fun you mean our time together was enjoyable, then yes we did have fun", Inuyasha answered shooting down any perverse ideas Koga had. While the thoughts did cross his mind and still occupied his mind, he just didn't know if Kagome felt the same about him.

"Let's get back to business", Inuyasha said reminding him of the situation at hand. "Who has a motive, who would have knowledge of Ryukotsei and the means to free him? I think those are the questions we should be asking ourselves". After the meeting it was late so Inuyasha decided to put off the pile up of documents that needed his attention in his office till tomorrow and go to bed. While walking down the hall alone he felt a presence behind him and quickly turned to see nothing there. 'Strange', he thought before heading to his wing. He didn't see Naraku hiding around the dark corner of another hall holding a round purple jewel in his black gloved hands. A tiny flicker of light glowed in the center of the gem the size of a pin hole.

'Amazing I was able to get just a tiny drop from being down the hall from him', he marveled at the power he stole. 'I just need to get closer and I can get all of his powers', Naraku thought slithering back into the shadows. Inuyasha arrived at the double doors that led to his personal wing only to find the very same woman that occupied his thoughts waiting there for him. Kagome had grown restless in her room, she kept thinking back to Inuyasha and how he was treating her. It almost seemed as if he liked her in the same way she liked him, but she had to be sure and the best way to find out would be to just confront him about how she felt once and for all. Worst case scenario he denies any interest in her and Kagome can move on, but she still would probably be devastated.

"Can I speak to you in private your highness?" Kagome bowed politely.

"Of course", Inuyasha told the guards to let her in and that they were not to be disturbed. He brought Kagome into his bedroom and sat down on the bed gesturing for her to do the same. "What did you wish to talk about Kagome?"

"How do you see me?" Kagome asked vaguely, trying to avoid saying her real question outright.

"You mean what do I see when I look at you?" Inuyasha rephrased her question. "Well If you asked me a few months ago, I would have said my too nosy personal servant, but now I see a beautiful girl with a kind and compassionate heart that I've come to treasure more than", Kagome cut him off by leaning up and planting her lips firmly upon his. Inuyasha was shocked at first that she would be so bold, but soon found himself kissing her back. He gently grabbed her shoulders and laid her down on his bed, turning her so he was leaning over her. He broke the kiss and took a good long look at her adorable blushing face seeing his mercury hair curtaining over them and mixing with her ebony locks splayed around her head.

"Tell me, what do you see when you look at me?" Lord Inuyasha asked.

"I see a good man who's had a lot of terrible things happen to him. I see someone who needs a little love in his life", Kagome said sweetly. Inuyasha smiled down at her and brought his lips down taking his time to deeply kiss her. Eventually his lips moved to her neck where he rained small gentle kisses along soft skin, then sliding her robe down to setting his mouth to work on her creamy shoulder. Kagome gasped and moaned as he tasted and nipped at her neck and shoulder, finding small sensitive spots that made her arch her back and grip his shoulders tightly, neither one of them wanted to stop and no words were needed. That night Inuyasha took Kagome as his lover over and over again, he made her scream his name as he made love to her so completely. When they finally stopped Kagome immediately passed out while Inuyasha stayed up to stroke her hair and contemplate what he had done.

"I'm sorry Kagome", he whispered as he watched her sleep. Inuyasha pulled her naked body close to his as he wrapped his arms around her waist, tracing circles on her smooth stomach while lightly kissing the back of her neck.

"I can't let you go"

* * *

 **I am so, so, so sorry. I totally forgot that last chapter ended with a big cliffhanger. Normally I don't like to leave big cliff hangers like that for too long, but I did and I'm very sorry. I just got so wrapped up in my Bleach story that I forgot about my other stories. As an apology to those who have stuck by this story I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, big stuff is going to happen.**

 **For this chapter I wanted the real reason Inuyasha hides his face to come to light I also wanted to get him more alone time with Kagome. He's not hiding anymore, there's no need to now that he knows he didn't fail his father and that his people don't hate him like he thought.**

 **I have a friend who gives me random names that sound cool whenever I need to make a quick character for something, she's awesome.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	9. Chapter9: Wretched Sack of Worms

**Wretched Sack of Worms**

Kagome woke up when the warm sunlight cast over her face from the open curtains. Her bed was surprisingly comfy and warm, much more comfortable than her normal bed, plus this one came with a pair of strong arms wrapped around her…wait. Shaking the sleep from her eyes she realized that she was in someone else's bed, Inuyasha's to be exact, with the magic prince himself holding her tight against his chest. She blushed seeing that they were both completely naked the events of last night coming back to her with every detail.

'Oh my god, I can't believe we', Kagome let out a startled quiet squeak when Inuyasha suddenly turned on his back pulling her to lay on top of him. Her face turned an even brighter shade of red with how close their bodies were now. She looked up seeing his sleeping face and smiled, it was so rare that she got to see that peaceful look. Kagome moved some of his long silvery locks that were splayed across his chest, and lightly traced his solid pecs with her finger.

"That feels nice", he whispered in his sleep.

'So he likes that', Kagome smiled and pressed her lips to his chest just beneath his collar bone. 'Let's see how he likes this', she sucked hard on that spot making Inuyasha gasp in his sleep. Kagome didn't let up until she left a reddish mark on his chest.

"What were you doing?" Inuyasha asked opening his eyes.

"Giving you a good morning", Kagome said kissing the spot she marked on his chest.

"I guess that's only fair, considering the marks I gave you", he smirked.

"What marks?" Kagome looked confused for a moment until he pointed down. Kagome sat up letting the blanket fall off her naked body and looked down to see numerous marks similar to the one she left on Inuyasha all over her body, on her breasts, down her stomach, even on her thighs. "HUH!?" Kagome realized she was sitting on top of him, straddling him actually, completely exposed and covered herself with her hands.

"Don't be shy Kagome, I've seen and touched everything already", he winked at her running a hand down her back making her shutter and bite her lip to suppress a moan.

"W-w-we should probably get up", Kagome stuttered out.

"I can always take the day off", Inuyasha said twirling a piece of her hair with his finger.

"But you just had two days off", she argued.

"Hm, you're right", he flipped them so she was laying on the bed with him hovering over her. Inuyasha gave her a slow passionate kiss while his hand trailed down her side. She let out a light pleasured groan as he moved on to her neck leaving a path of kisses and nips along her skin. Kagome gasped as she felt Inuyasha gently slide himself into her again with the same torturously slow rhythm as last night.

"Inu..Ah", Kagome covered her mouth to keep from moaning to loud.

"What was that Kagome, I couldn't hear you?" Inuyasha smirked at her cuteness and leaned back while simultaneously lifting her up with his arms around her around her back. The change in position allowed him slide in deeper into Kagome, causing to gasp and writhe, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Is that better?" he asked moving her hand away from her mouth.

"Move…", Kagome panted burying her face into his shoulder.

"As you wish", Inuyasha did as she asked him to and gently, lovingly thrusted upwards repeatedly. He didn't stop until both of them had reached their climax. He carried her tired body into the bathing pool where they washed up and did 'it' a few more times in the bath. Inuyasha wanted to give Kagome the day off at least, but she insisted that she carried out her duties for the day as his personal servant. He ordered the kitchen staff to deliver his breakfast to his bedroom and to bring enough for two, they both ate making idle chatter. Kagome couldn't meet his gaze while Inuyasha seemed to be in a surprisingly cheerful mood.

"I should go back to my room and put my uniform on", Kagome said putting her plate back on the tray. Inuyasha walked her to the main door of his personal wing and gave a quick kiss goodbye. She quickly made it to her room, closed and locked the door behind her.

"I can't believe we had sex", Kagome said aloud to herself clutching her shoulders. She sat down on her bed thinking about last night, she wouldn't deny that it was the best night of her life, but what did this mean now. It was painfully obvious that Inuyasha liked her as much as she liked him, perhaps they cared even more deeply than that for each other. Kagome smiled when she remembered how gentle and loving he was, how he held her all night. She went over to her desk and wrote everything down in her journal, not going into too much detail.

'He's so sweet. I think I…love him', was the last thing she wrote before closing her journal and getting ready to go back to work.

LATER

Inuyasha sat in his office catching up on the documents and paper work that piled up from his weekend off. His attention was only half focused on the work, his mind kept envisioning his night with Kagome again and again in every detail. Her soft skin, her flushed face, the pleasured noises that she made, and every inch of her body. He was pretty sure he had made a mental map of every erogenous zone that she possessed.

"Hey, Lord Inuyasha you busy?" Koga asked walking into his office unannounced. He was happy to see his friend was still not hiding his face anymore, choosing to wear a red cloak with the hood cut off over black pants and matching button up shirt.

"What is it Koga?" Inuyasha said without his normal cold bite to it.

"I just wanted to…", Koga stopped when he reached his highness's desk and sniffed the air. He grinned wolfishly when he realized what that scent was. "Well, well, you and Kagome had some fun last night".

"And here I thought bathing would hide that fact from you", Inuyasha sighed leaning back in his chair.

"You know you can't hide anything from me with my superior sense of smell", the wolf leader just smirked at him.

"I ask you to keep this quiet, that's an order Koga", Inuyasha said sternly.

"Was it not what you expected?" Koga asked thinking he regretted doing it with Kagome.

"I'm not ashamed, I thoroughly enjoyed last night and I'm sure Kagome did as well", Inuyasha actually smirked at him before it dropped into a frown. "The fact is we still don't know who our unseen enemy is, whoever the snake is I would rather them not think they can use Kagome against me".

"You don't want her getting caught up in this problem. I can understand that, speaking of which we made some progress on that front", Koga smiled and showed Lord Inuyasha the bag he was carrying, placing it on the desk.

"Really? That's some of the best news I've heard this morning", Inuyasha opened the bag to see broken pieces of a glass jar. "Explain"

"We found this off the path that leads up to the mountain, where the dragon was imprisoned, it carries the same scent of the same substance that melted the chains of that beast", Koga explained.

"Then it's just a matter of finding where this substance came from and we'll have our perpetrator", Inuyasha smiled, things were starting to look up. "Begin searching the castle, but do it discreetly. We don't want to alert the snake that we're on to them".

"Will do your highness", Koga bowed. Just as they finished talking Kagome came walking in dressed in her maid outfit that she normally wore on duty. Koga gave her the 'I know something you don't know that I know' grin. Kagome simply returned with a pleasant smile and poured Lord Inuyasha a fresh cup of tea. "Kagome, what's that spot on your neck?" the wolf commander asked cheekily pointing at the reddish mark on her skin peeking out from her collar. Kagome blushed and quickly tried to cover it, knowing there were more marks like that all over her body. Koga simply chuckled while Inuyasha smiled at her adorable actions.

BENEATH THE CASTLE

Kagura and Kanna headed down the spiral stone staircase that lead into the sewer system, the very bowels of the castle. They were both given a letter from his highness telling them to assist Naraku in his assignment. The orders seemed odd, first of all Naraku never needed help, and Lord Inuyasha never sent anyone down here without one or two wolf soldiers escorting them.

"Awe Kagura, Kanna, you both made it", a voice said at the bottom of the stairs. They stopped to see the black cloaked figure standing there holding a lantern. "This way please, I have something to show you".

"Let's just get this over with it reeks down here", Kagura said holding her nose to make a point. Kanna no made comment and just followed the older woman. "What help requires our help anyway?"

"It's just this way", Naraku said, his voice a little muffled behind his baboon mask, he led them further and deeper into the bowels of the castle. Kagura made sure she stayed close to the pale rabbit eared girl and kept a good distance from the hooded creature in front of them. "Almost there", Naraku suddenly stopped, pulled out a set of keys and opened an old wooden. He glided across floor as he walked into the dark room, his lantern going out as he walked. "In here".

"Hm", Kagura looked into the room suspiciously and decided to go in first. It was just Naraku after all, the lowliest of all the servants. Kanna quietly followed behind her unaware of any potential or maybe she just didn't care. As they walked inside the door suddenly closed behind them and they found themselves locked inside. The candles lightened the room revealing Naraku standing there, his creepy red eyes staring at them with sinister mirth.

"Thank you for coming all the way down here. How would like to participate in a little experiment", he chuckled behind his mask.

"I thought something was strange with those orders, his highness would never send two people down here without guard", Kagura stood protectively in front of Kanna. Naraku just laughed as he slithered closer to her. He pointed his arm at her and suddenly dozens of purple fleshy tendrils shot out of the empty sleeve and grabbed Kagura, tossing her violent across the room into a table. "Kanna…run!"

"Since Miss Kagura is so uncooperative perhaps you would like to test this out then Kanna", his tentacles slid back into his sleeve as he removed a strange looking jewel from his pocket. It was small and round with a tiny glowing sec in the center. A few more tentacles slithered out from under his cloak surrounding the poor emotionless girl. If she was afraid she didn't show it, even when the jewel flared and the tentacles around began to glow with a dark purple aura. Kanna could feel her body shift and morph, slowly returning to her original form, a small white rabbit.

"What have you done!?" Kagura shouted getting up off the floor.

"I merely returned her to what she was before Lord Inuyasha twisted her into a parody of a little girl", Naraku sneered picking up the helpless rabbit and carelessly tossed it into a small cage.

"You monster!" Kagura ran up and smacked Naraku in the face knocking his mask right off. When he turned back she got a good look at his face, if one could call it that. There was no face or head, it was just a writhing mass of gross red and purple tendrils with two human eyes wriggling around like a pile of disgusting maggots.

"Bitch", a bunch of tentacles shot out from the front of his cloak shoving her back into a broom closet. A quickly closed and locked the door imprisoning the woman inside. "You're lucky the jewel doesn't have a enough power to transfigure you right now, but when I get the rest of Lord Inuyasha's power I'll be back for you", Naraku hissed picked up his discarded mask and covering his hideous appearance.

"Let me out!" her voice shouted from inside the closet as she pounded on the door.

"Just sit tight ladies, I've got bigger fish to fry", Naraku laughed as he left his quarters.

THAT NIGHT

Inuyasha invited Kagome to spend the night with him again and surprisingly she took him up on that invitation. He was even more surprised when Kagome was the one to pounce on him, kissing and disrobing him. She climbed on top of him and Inuyasha was all too happy to let her take control of the love making. Afterwards they collapsed into each other's arms silently deciding to take a break.

"Do you have a deck cards?" Kagome suddenly asked getting a fun idea while she laid against his chest playing with his locks enjoying the afterglow of their activities.

"Why do you ask?" Inuyasha sighed placing his hands behind his head.

"I want to show you something cool", Kagome beamed at him.

"Top drawer on the dresser. There should be a deck that I haven't touched in years", he pointed across the bedroom. Kagome quickly slipped her black panties back on and put on Inuyasha's white button up long sleeve shirt for modesty's sake. Making her way over to the dresser she opened the top drawer and found the old deck of playing cards. When she turned around she blushed seeing Inuyasha was still completely naked spread out on the bed.

"Cover up please", she said tossing the sheet over his lower area.

"So what do you want to show me?" Inuyasha asked sitting up on the bed. Kagome shuffled the cards up before fanning them out face down.

"Pick one", Inuyasha played along and slid a random card out. "Don't show it to me".

"Alright", he wasn't sure what the point of this was, but he decided to humor her.

"Now place it back into the deck", she ordered, he did as she told him. Kagome mixed the cards up once again before placing her fingers on the top card of the deck. "Is this your card?" she asked drawing the top card and showing it to him.

"What the hell!?" Inuyasha grabbed the card from her, indeed that was the card he picked at random, the jack of diamonds, but how did it move to the top of the deck. "Kagome, I didn't know you possessed a hidden power to", she couldn't help, Kagome finally burst out laughing, rolling around on the bed clutching her stomach. "What's so funny?"

"It's just…the mighty magic prince…befuddled by a card trick", Kagome said in between the giggles.

"I'm glad that amused you", Inuyasha said sarcastically grabbing the deck of cards from her. "Let me show you my card trick", the cards floated out of his hand before transforming into a cloud of cherry blossom petals which flew off to rain down on Kagome.

"I still think mine is better", Kagome smiled at him. Inuyasha laid back down on the bed watching her crawl over to him.

"Inuyasha?" she started.

"Yes?" Inuyasha rolled over on his side to face her.

"Why didn't you transfigure me when we first met?" Kagome asked the one question she still often wondered about. The last and only other time she asked that, he told her not to ask stupid questions, but now they're relationship was much closer and more intimate.

"Oh I don't know, perhaps it was on a whim", Kagome looked a little disappointed at that, but he continued. "That's what I would have said if anybody else asked. The truth is I was sick and tired of transfiguring people who don't deserve it and when I first saw you something about you stayed my hand, I just couldn't do it".

"You're a good man, no matter how much you deny it", Kagome said laying down next to him.

"I should probably turn the people back to normal shouldn't I?" Inuyasha asked running his hand up and down her leg in thought.

"Maybe", Kagome sighed.

"What does that mean?" Inuyasha asked sliding his fingers across her side.

"Some people actually like the way they are now, I think you should make it optional for those that want to be normal humans", she knew some people who preferred to stay what they were. "Oh that reminds me! There's someone who wants to talk to you", Kagome exclaimed sitting up.

"Who?"

"That guy in the cloak and mask, Naraku", Inuyasha suddenly sat up.

"He spoke to you?" he sounded pissed.

"Yeah a few times, I thought he was creepy at first, but one day he came to me asking if he could have audience with you", Kagome explained, she could understand Inuyasha's anger, she was mad to when she heard about Naraku.

"Do you know what that bastard did?" Inuyasha growled out while Kagome sat up to face.

"Yes I know, but he told me he feels honestly remorseful for what he did and wants a chance to ask for your forgiveness", she told Inuyasha what he told her that evening the dragon attacked the kingdom.

"And you think he's sincere?" Inuyasha sounded skeptical.

"Yes, he sounded honest and sincere when I talked to him", Kagome defended, in her mind everyone deserved a second chance, even liars and murderers deserved at least a chance at redemption.

"If you say so, I'll call him to the throne room tomorrow", Inuyasha laid back down and rolled away from her clearly upset, he wasn't looking forward to talking to that filth. Kagome looked at him sympathetically before running her hands up and down his back lovingly.

THE NEXT DAY

"Are you sure about this my lord?" Koga asked following his highness down the corridor. He had just heard Lord Inuyasha order Naraku to be brought to the throne room so he could talk to him.

"Yes, Kagome believes that creature sincerely wants redemption. I want to see it for myself", Inuyasha continued down the main hall.

"If you insist, will you be needing guards", Inuyasha scoffed at that.

"Please, it's Naraku. That worm can't do anything to harm me", the large double doors were held open and Inuyasha walked in, across the black tiled floor and up the few steps taking a seat in the large imposing throne. He noticed a freshly poured cup of tea and kettle was placed on the small table next to the throne. There was a note under the cup, picking it up he smiled seeing that it was from Kagome.

 _Inuyasha,_

 _Thank you for listening to me. Also I enjoyed our time last night. Sorry I'm not good at writing things like this. I made you some tea just the way you like._

 _Love and Kisses,_

 _Kagome._

"That girl is too much", Inuyasha chuckled setting the note next to the kettle. A few minutes later the large double doors opened and the black hooded figure of Naraku slid across the floor into the throne room. He could see the tentacles that made up his body that Inuyasha knew were underneath his robe, moving around erratically, after all he was the one who made Naraku this way.

"Naraku", Inuyasha said staring the bastard down.

"Y-your highness", Naraku bent forward in a bow. His shocked stutter was actually real, he was surprised to see Lord Inuyasha wasn't wearing his hood or clothe over his face. His surprise morphed into anger when he saw that he was incredibly handsome underneath. 'Of course he had to be good looking underneath. Selfish bastard', he thought with his head down. "I've come to beg your forgiveness, for my horrible actions fifteen years ago".

"You killed the head of the church, you murdered Kikyo, and now you seek forgiveness?" Inuyasha spat out.

"I truly regret my actions my lord, I just want a chance to explain my remorsefulness", Naraku said sliding a few inches forward.

"I'm listening", Inuyasha leaned back propping his head up in his hand. He didn't seem to notice Naraku inching closer across the floor.

'Just a bit closer', Naraku thought as he began his elaborately planned lie.

MEANWHILE

Koga and two of his pack mates/subordinates were searching through the bowels of the castle. Apparently a faint trace of the jar was found down here and now they were trying to find the source of the scent. It was difficult for the other wolf soldiers to pick through the smells of the sewer system from what they were looking for, but not for Koga. He wasn't the leader for nothing, the deeper they went the closer he got to the source.

"What's that door there?" Koga asked seeing a wooden door at the end of circular stone corridor. He wasn't aware that there were rooms down here. "Ginta go check", he ordered his comrade.

"It's locked sir", Ginta said fumbling with the immobile knob. Koga rolled his eyes and marched up to the door and kicked it down with one strike. Looking around the mysterious room with the lantern he spotted a lot of weird vials and jars, but more importantly he was able to detect the smell of the same substance from the broken jar. Looking around one of the tables he found another jar containing the same corrosive liquid that he deduced was used to free the dragon from its chains. Koga also found a lot of strange notes that he didn't understand, next to some poor caged rabbit that smelled that librarian girl Kanna.

"Hello, is anybody there!?" a voice shouted from the closet followed by banging.

"Who's in there?" Koga asked.

"It's Kagura, open the door please!" she shouted. Koga rip the lock from the door and opened it, revealing the head of the seamstress staff Kagura. "Oh thank you!"

"Who did this to you?" the wolf leader asked.

"Naraku! It was Naraku, he did this Kanna!" she pointed at the rabbit in the cage.

"Where is he!?" Koga sounded pissed.

"You have to hurry, he mentioned something about getting Lord Inuyasha's power!" the woman said frantically. Koga was out of the room before she could blink in a furious rush. All the pieces finally fit together, Naraku was the one who released the dragon Ryukotsei, he was the one sneaking around, and right now that monster was upstairs in the throne room with his friend alone.

BACK IN THE THRONE ROOM

"So what do you hope to gain by saying you're sorry?", Inuyasha asked looking down on the bastard in front of him. "Do expect me to transfigure you back into a human?" Naraku slid forward another few inches before answering.

'Just a little bit more', he would be grinning if he had a mouth underneath his mask. "Of course not milord. I merely wanted to give you assurances that I'm a changed man".

"I wouldn't call you a man anymore, you disgusting sack of worms", Inuyasha said venomously as Naraku slid another inch forward.

"You're right I'm not a man anymore", he moved another inch closer. "But once we're done here", another inch. "I'll become something closer to a god", one more inch forward.

"What are you talking ab-", Inuyasha eyes suddenly widened as he felt like something powerful was latching onto him.

'Got you!' Naraku laughed as the jewel hidden under his cloak was finally taking effect and started draining Lord Inuyasha of his powers.

"What's happening!?" Inuyasha grimaced as he felt his own power suddenly leaving his body like a raging river.

"Get the hell away from him!" the double doors were kicked open by a panicking Koga who saw what was happening and ran over to the creature in front of his lord. Kagome was right behind him, she saw Koga frantically running down the main hall sword drawn with several armed wolf soldiers trailing behind him. She followed to see what the emergency was, but was unprepared and confused as to what was happening in the throne room.

"I said get the hell away from him!" Koga ran up and kicked Naraku hard in the head obliterating his mask and sending him flying to crash into the wall on the left.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted running over to help him. The lord was doubled over clutching his chest as if in pain as he attempted to get out of his chair. The soldiers marched over and pointed their weapons at Naraku who lay in heap against the cracked wall. The sudden evil laughter echoing in the room made them all freeze and turn to see the cloaked man stand up off the ground still laughing like a mad man.

"It's too late, I got it, I got all of it!" he laughed as he began to tear his cloak off revealing a mass of disgusting thin tentacles in the shape of a human body, wriggling around as it clustered together to imitate human limbs. Naraku's vile body began to glow with a dark aura as it started to expand, the tentacles growing in size and number, he would overtake the room in a matter of seconds.

"Retreat…evacuate...everybody!" Inuyasha strained to order. Koga did just that, he ordered his soldiers to evacuate everyone from the castle quickly while he swiftly pulled Inuyasha's arm over his shoulder and carried him out of there, making sure Kagome stayed close. That day the entire staff had no choice but to abandon the castle and move to the town below along with its lord who passed out from the pain of losing all his powers. Leaving the disgusting villain to his own devices. Koga took the unconscious Inuyasha along with Kagome to, ironically, the same Inn that Kagome stayed at when she first came here. The wolf leader said they would stay until his highness woke up and they could find a way to undo whatever happened in the throne room.

'Just what on earth happened?' Kagome thought as she sat next to the still unconscious Inuyasha as he lay on the bed. She held his hand while he slept feeling like this was all her fault.

Back at the now abandoned castle Naraku sat in his new throne facing the shattered window wall that over looked the large town below. Using the power he stole from Inuyasha he created dark storm clouds to blanket the kingdom in darkness. He laughed as he felt all powerful and invincible now, this must be how Lord Inuyasha felt. His eyes landed on a piece of paper on the table next to him, right by the broken teapot. Picking it up with his fleshy tendrils he read it quietly to himself before letting out a sinister chuckle.

"I didn't know Kagome was that important to him", he laughed darkly as he crumbled the note up, big plans forming in his mind.

 **End of that chapter, a reward for those who waited patiently for the last chapter when it took so long to write. Ha another big cliff hanger, aren't they great?**

 **So yeah, Naraku has finally revealed himself as the evil villain as well as get away with his evil plan. He now has all of Inuyasha's power, how will he use it or abuse it? I had this idea since the beginning that he would be this like hivemind thing of tentacles clustering together to form a human shape, that's what was hidden under his cloak and mask the whole time. Kind of like Colony Sarff from the new season of Doctor Who.**

 **Anyway thanks for reading.**


	10. Chapter10: Insect Politics

**INSECT POLITICS**

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, feeling groggy like he had all his energy sucked out of him. He sat up noticing he was in an unknown bed. He also noticed Kagome lying next to him passed out.

"About time you woke up", Koga said walking into the room.

"Where are we?" Inuyasha asked.

"An abandoned farm house somewhere outside of the town", the wolf commander said leaning against the door frame. "We were at an Inn, but we had to move you in light of recent events".

"How long was I asleep?" he asked dreading the answer.

"Five days", Koga answered. Inuyasha silently cursed that he had been out of commission for that long. He glanced back over at the still sleeping Kagome. "She refused to leave your side".

"I need to get up and talk to you and whoever you brought with us", Inuyasha got out of the bed gently as to not wake Kagome and put the blanket over her before leaving the room to let her sleep. They headed down stairs to the small dining room where Shippou, Rin, and Kagura holding a small white bunny that he recognized as Kanna before he gave her human form.

"Is this it?" Inuyasha asked, he was expecting more people than this.

"No, I ordered the wolves to guard the area, and the rest are trying to gather information in the town", Koga began while Inuyasha sat down at the table.

"We're not sure what happened to the other staff members, we got separated when we were attacked", Shippou said.

"Attacked by what?" Inuyasha asked.

"Things have changed in the kingdom your highness", Koga began. "That bastard Naraku has his own army now".

"It's only been five days", Inuyasha growled clearly aggravated and confused. "And where did he get an army?"

"He's been using your power that he stole to transfigure insects and arachnids into his loyal followers", Koga explained with disgust in his tone.

"That's bad", Inuyasha placed his hand on his forehead and sighed. "Some of the staff are animals I transfigured into humans, just like Koga and his wolves, like Kagura here. However I never considered doing the same for insects mainly because they are such savage and brutal creatures whose loyalties can't be obtained".

"Well Naraku certainly has their loyalty", Shippou said nervously, he was always creeped out by bugs. "These monsters are enforcing his new laws in the most brutal way possible".

"What kind of laws?" the former lord asked.

"Pretty much whatever he say goes, anyone who says otherwise is just killing themselves. He's already had dozens of people imprisoned", Koga said tapping his foot in frustration.

"Your highness, I'm so sorry. Naraku told me what he was planning when he trapped me", Kagura apologized while bowing her head.

"It's fine, you couldn't stop him on your own, I forgive you", Inuyasha said accepting her apology. "My main concern is figuring out how he stole my power and how to get it back".

"I saw use some sort of jewel on Kanna here, maybe that has something to do with it", she said holding up the rabbit. Inuyasha stared forward as he pressed his lips to his interlocked hands in thought.

"You know what that is don't you?" Koga saw the realization dawn on his highness's face.

"Yes, my mother and father created something similar when I was a child still coming into my power, just in case my power went out of control and put myself in danger, but that jewel was rendered useless and destroyed", he wondered if there was perhaps some record of it somewhere. Maybe that's where Naraku got the information on how to make one for himself.

"So if we get the jewel, we can give you your powers back?" Shippou asked.

"Correct", Inuyasha answered.

"Well at least we know how to stop him", Kagura said keeping Kanna close.

"Yeah, we just have to get passed his army of insect men, especially that freak Magatsuhi", Koga growled out.

"Who's that?" Lord Inuyasha asked.

"Naraku's general, upper body looks normal, however his lower body is a giant scorpion", the wolf emphasized how big with his hand. "He patrols the town terrorizing the citizens and enforcing Naraku's laws as the new lord of the kingdom", Koga spat venomously. "By the way, we're all wanted criminals in the kingdom now", he chuckled sarcastically tossing out a few wanted posters with pictures of the former heads of staff and Koga of course. "But you've got the biggest reward your highness", he said showing Inuyasha the wanted poster for himself with a big monetary reward attached. "You're the only one he wants alive and there isn't one of Kagome".

"That's good", Inuyasha sighed in relief. At least she could be kept safe, maybe even be sent away from this kingdom as much as that thought saddened him.

"So what's the plan?" Koga asked eager to get out there and start busting heads. Inuyasha did something no one would expect the normally stoic lord to do, he laid his head on the table and let out a frustrated breath of fresh air.

"I have no idea", well that wasn't assuring.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Shippou whined. If Lord Inuyasha couldn't lead them then they were in deep trouble.

"Well we can't just march up to the castle waving swords and shields", Koga chuckled dryly, just then his words caused Inuyasha to pull his head up suddenly in realization.

"Sword? My sword", Inuyasha smiled remembering his faithful weapon.

"What about your sword?" Shippou asked looking at him skeptically, how could a sword be of any use to them against a magic empowered villain?

"The sword was forged by my father to absorb and channel my power into a weapon that could protect the kingdom. It holds my magic still, if I could get it from the vaults in the castle then I could use it to destroy Naraku", the silver haired prince explained.

"Great we have a goal, but how do we get in the castle?" Koga said throwing the new problem at them. Everyone turned silent in thought, with Naraku's insect minions everywhere it wasn't currently possible to get into the castle.

"We would need someone to go in there by themselves and be able to move quickly and quietly to the vault to retrieve the sword", Inuyasha's brow creased in thought.

"Yes, but who?" Kagura asked aloud, none of them were a real option.

"I'll do it", a voice from the door said. They all turned to see Kagome standing in the doorway having recently woken up and headed downstairs to find Inuyasha. While they were discussing what to do, she waited in the hallway listening to their plans and decided to volunteer for this task.

"No", Inuyasha shot her down immediately.

"I just thought that since there are no wanted posters of me I could…", Kagome was cut off by another harsh no from Inuyasha who wouldn't even to look at her.

"Maybe we should hear her out my lord?" Koga tried to reason with him. "Naraku wouldn't expect someone like Kagome to be a spy, it's perfect".

"I said no!" This time Inuyasha slammed his fist on the table to emphasize his point.

"What's your problem?" Kagome asked stomping over to him in an angry huff.

"My problem is you wanting to put yourself at risk!" he shouted at her turning away. "You should just leave, go home and leave this kingdom's problems to its people", as much as it hurt him to say, he didn't want to risk the life of the woman he had come to treasure and adore.

"I'm not leaving, this is all my fault anyway", Inuyasha dint want to hear any more so he stood up and left the room deciding to take a walk outside.

"I'll talk to him", Koga said looking at her crestfallen face before heading outside. He found Lord Inuyasha standing in the grass with the breeze of the evening staring at the town in the distance. Dark storm clouds hovered over the castle and town creating an ominous portrait.

"You know she just wants to help", the wolf general said. Inuyasha remained silently as he faced away from him. "Is it because you don't feel like you can trust her?"

"What makes you think I don't trust her?" Inuyasha asked without looking back at him.

"Well she was the one to convince you to talk to Naraku, maybe the two are working together?" Koga said trying to get a reaction out of the other. It worked, Inuyasha turned furious eyes on his second in command.

"No she's not a traitor. Kagome is many things and none of them are bad, so if you ever compare her to anything as such, I will tear out your tongue", he said in a dangerously calm voice.

"Then let her help", Koga didn't seemed afraid of his threat, mainly because he agreed with how he thought of her.

"I don't want to do this, but if she wants to help then I guess I have no right to stop her", Inuyasha said turning around to head back into the abandoned farm house.

"I don't like this either, but we can't let Naraku hurt more people", Koga said following after his friend.

THE NEXT DAY

Kagome walked down the dark streets of the town. Things were quiet and depressing, the storm clouds the hovered above the kingdom created a sense of dread. The people acted nervous and scared, most cowering in their homes, even most businesses were closed down. Kagome got a look at the creatures that Naraku had employed to police the streets. Beings dressed in black and dark purple uniforms, some possessed very insect like appendages, either their arms or legs. Some even had insect heads, all of them were malformed and hideous, unlike when Inuyasha used his power and it was like art on a canvas. This was just wrong, horribly wrong.

Making her way to the castle Kagome went over the plan in her head. After Koga dropped her off on the outskirts of the town she would go the castle and ask to speak to the new lord Naraku. Once there she would gain his trust by ratting out the location of Inuyasha, from there she would offer to serve him. From there she would go down to the vaults the first chance she got and retrieve Inuyasha's sword, escape the castle with it and rendezvous with the others in the town. This was how she wanted to make up for her mistake of thinking Naraku truly wanted to repent. Kagome felt horrible for causing all this and was willingly to bravely do what needed to be done in spite of her growing fear.

"Stop right there!" Kagome froze hearing the voice behind her. She turned to see a tall man in a uniform with praying mantis claws for arms approaching her. "What are you doing at the gate to Lord Naraku's castle?" the man creature hissed.

"I…I…I've come to speak with his highness, I have urgent information", Kagome lied quickly.

"You can say whatever you need to say to me girl", he said venomously.

"No, I need to speak to him directly, take me to him", Kagome demanded only to get smacked in the face by the man's mantis claws knocking her to the ground.

"I don't take orders from you bitch!" the creature attempted to attack with his claws, but stopped when the sound of many large feet stomped across the stone streets behind them.

"What's going on here?" this new person spoke sounding more amused than curious.

"Captain Magutsuhi, I was merely getting rid of this nuisance", he explained. Kagome held her bruised cheek and looked up to see a giant black scorpion, complete with pincer claws, and a poison stinger on the end of its long tail. Her eyes travelled upward to see the upper body of a man dressed in a black uniform with long straightened white hair and slanted red eyes. Magatsuhi's blue lips were set in an evil grin as he looked down on her.

"What's this woman doing here?" The scorpion hybrid asked sinisterly.

"She was trying to get passed the gates to the castle, with some nonsense about having urgent information for Lord Naraku", the man creature said with a bow.

"Did you think for a second in that tiny walnut sized brain of yours that her information could be important?" Magatsuhi asked with a dangerous predatory look in his eyes.

"Well no, but-", the guy didn't even get to finish his sentence as one of the large pincers from the scorpion part of Magatsuhi's body snapped forward and severed the guard's head from his neck. Kagome shrieked as the head and decapitated body hit the ground spilling blood everywhere.

"Now you said you have information for Lord Naraku", he grinned. Kagome was too scared to respond and could only nod her head. "Then come with me, let's go see him", the creep forced her to walk ahead of him up the castle so he could keep an eye on her. Kagome grew more nervous with every step she took to the now much more oppressive castle. Upon reaching the main entrance she noticed the giant black banner with a blood red spider on it and figured that must be the symbol for Naraku's new dark empire.

ELSEWHERE

Back at the farmhouse on the outskirts of the kingdom Inuyasha and the other's waited for Koga to return to relay that Kagome made it to the castle safely. They planned on lying in wait for Kagome to tell Naraku their location. He would most likely send his best minions to attack them, but they had a little surprise ready for them when the enemy forces arrived.

"He's back", Inuyasha said while looking at a hand drawn map of the town and castle that Shippou made with his photographic memory. Just then the door slammed upon and the general of the wolf army came barging in, rage pouring off of him.

"What's the matter?" Shippou asked sitting at the table with Lord Inuyasha. Koga just growled and punched a hole through the wall.

"That bastard! They killed my wolves", he said through clenched teeth.

"They did what?" Inuyasha stood up not liking the sound of that.

"Some of my brethren were caught and killed, their bodies strung up in the town square in some sort of spider webs", Koga was pissed that he couldn't do anything to save them or even recover their bodies at the time. Inuyasha led him back outside to the large wooden barn at the other end of the lot.

"You'll get your chance to avenge them, you all will get the chance", he pushed the barn door open revealing the rest of the wolf soldiers. The hybrid men and women filled the building sitting around talking and eating. Kagura and Rin were helping by handing out food and bandaging wounds. As soon as Lord Inuyasha and General Koga walked into the barn everyone quieted and turned their attention to their leaders.

"The enemy will be arriving soon everyone. When they attack don't hesitate to kill. They are not human, they are less than human, even lower than animals", Inuyasha said with authority.

"You all heard his highness, let's crush these assholes like the bugs they are!" Koga shouted to his men, everyone stood up and cheered, their spirits raised and ready to take back their homeland.

"Hope this works", Koga said to his friend.

"It will work", Inuyasha said confidently.

BACK AT THE CASTLE

Kagome was led down the main corridor that led to the throne room. This reminded her of the first time she met Inuyasha, except now the walls seemed much darker. The ceiling was now covered in giant spider webs, even the very air felt cold and evil, with a wretched smell that nearly made her gag when she first walked inside. The more she looked around the more distorted and twisted the architecture was warped into Naraku's hideous aesthetic. These two spider headed men led her to the large double doors of the throne room.

"Inside…girl", the one on the left said rudely shoving her through the open doors. Kagome walked up a few steps into the throne room to see that it was still a wreck from when he stole Inuyasha's power, except now there were two banners on the left and right walls with the same spider symbols she saw on the front of the castle.

"Kagome", she looked up to see Naraku himself sitting on Inuyasha's throne, but he looked very different now. Instead of squirming mass of tentacles in the shape of a human body he now had pale white skin, long black curled hair and blood red eyes. He now wore royal purple and dark blue robes that he must have taken from Inuyasha's bedroom. As she walked closer Kagome noticed his lips were pulled in a thin smile that only came from a villainous man who finally got everything he wanted.

"Lord Naraku", Kagome bowed feeling sick to her stomach.

"I must say I'm quite surprised to see you come here of your own free will", he smirked.

"Well I just figured it was best to be on the winning side in this whole mess", she lied just like she practiced. "I know where Inuyasha and the others are hiding, I can tell you if you can guarantee my protection your highness".

"Interesting, perhaps we should discuss this over dinner", Naraku stood up from the throne and walked over to her. Kagome had to suppress a flinch when he reached out to touch her cheek. "I'm sure the new servants can find something better for you to wear than that outfit", he said smoothly before gliding past her.

"As you wish your highness", Kagome said with a monotone voice following him out the doors, hoping and praying he bought her story. She was eventually brought to a room where a spider legged woman dressed her up in a black sleeveless and frilly dress. Kagome was uncomfortable in this somewhat provocative outfit, mainly because it felt tight in some areas like her hips and breasts. After they dressed her up like a doll another guard was sent to escort her to the royal dining hall. She did her best to ignore the stares she got from the insect like creatures that roamed the corridors and ceilings. Walking into the dining hall she noticed it was kept relatively the same as it was before.

"Please have a seat Kagome", Naraku sat at the head of the table as if he was the rightful lord of the castle, pointing at the seat to his left. Kagome sat down seeing food and a glass of wine already prepared, all she could think about was the first time Inuyasha invited to dinner in this room, the other dinners with him, their conversations and feelings they shared. After a long terrifying silence he finally spoke once more. "So tell me why you've come back here again", he grinned.

"I know where Inuyasha and Koga are hiding out, I thought that if I came here with that I could be given protection in exchange", Kagome explained taking a small miniscule bite from the overcooked steak in front of her.

"Is that so, then consider it granted", Naraku smiled taking a gulp of his wine with a lack of the finesse that Inuyasha always had when he drank his wine or tea. "Now tell me, where are they hiding?"

"On an abandoned farm, outside the town, just west of here", Kagome felt disgusted with the way he grinned at her as she said this.

"Funny I never pegged you as a treacherous woman", Kagome swallowed afraid that he might have seen through her lies. "But I guess we all have hidden sides to ourselves, don't we?" Naraku smiled sadistically as he said this.

"Your highness, I think it would be best to deal with soon", she said wondering how long it would take to get Inuyasha's sword out of the vault and flee from here.

"Well then I should dispatch my forces post haste", he said with a sinister chuckle. "But oh dear, it appears I've already sent them to deal with those dogs a few hours ago".

"What?" Kagome didn't understand what he meant by that.

"Yes, before you arrived actually. I already knew where they were, my spies told me. They'll all be dead before the sunrises", he said with an amused tone as if he was talking about crushing an ant. "Though I was honestly surprised to see you here, I was worried my men would have killed you in the raid. It greatly pleases me to know that you're safe now", Naraku said with fake concern.

"Y-yeah", Kagome looked down at her plate trying to hide how worried she actually was.

"Did you take me for a fool Kagome?" he said darkly.

"Excuse me your highness?" Kagome grew anxious suddenly.

"Let me guess, Inuyasha sent you here to spy on me, didn't he?" her stomach dropped when he said this.

"I don't know what you're talking about", Kagome tried to lie again, but Naraku wasn't so easily fooled.

"Don't try to deny it, I found your little love note you left with his tea, you love him don't you", he stated without question. Kagome stood up and backed away from him while he stood and followed her. "Since you walked so willingly into my castle I should at least treat you like a proper guest", Kagome tried to run, but Naraku waved his purple glowing hand causing several large spikes to form out of the wall blocking her path. He then called for a guard to come take her away. "Don't worry Inuyasha will soon be here and I'll make sure you get a front row seat to his execution", he laughed as she was dragged out.

"You monster!" Kagome yelled at him as her wrists were chained together, she was then taken the dungeon below the castle where she was locked into a dimly lit cell. She sat there on the cold stone floor praying that Inuyasha and her friends would get out of there alive.

Back upstairs Naraku stood in the throne facing the shattered window that overlooked the town, the storm clouds that he created began pelting the buildings with a heavy dark rain as purple lighting flashed in the sky. He smiled to himself, right about now his soldiers should be tearing those dogs apart piece by bloody piece. His grew wider when he thought about the woman he caged. Even if by some miracle Inuyasha managed to escape capture he now had something most precious to the former magic prince that he could use against him.

AT THE FARM

A legion of insect hybrid men surrounded the entire lot, each of them eager to kill and feast as was their nature being the savage creatures they were. Magatsuhi stepped forward and grinned imagining the look on their enemies' faces when they saw they sprung their little surprise attack.

"Your orders sir?" a man with a centipede body asked.

"Lord Naraku's orders were quite clear, kill every last one of them, but leave the one called Inuyasha alive to be publically executed", he said with a sickening glee. "ATTACK!" and with that the army of arachnids and insects all charged the unsuspecting farmhouse and barn to rip them all to shreds.

* * *

 **Ah cliffhangers, how could I resist once again. Naraku's abusing the power he stole and making an army of insect men. Bear with me on this if it seems silly to you. I was going to do these tentacle monsters, but realized that would kind of be ripping off the Lovecraft mythos.**

 **Has anybody ever seen the sequel to The Mummy, you know the crappy CG scorpion king, Magatsuhi kind of looks like that. I don't know why I choose scorpion for him, it just seemed to fit and plus it seems more deadly looking than a spider. I was going to do Hakudoshi, but I needed someone more wicked than him.**

 **I'm happy one of you was right in that Inuyasha may not have his power, but his sword can still work for him. Will Kagome be successful in retrieving it now that she's been caught? Find out soon enough.**

 **Also after this arc is all done I might do a second story arc called Rise of the Doll Maker. Still playing around with it.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	11. Chapter11: Battle for The Kingdom Part 1

**BATTLE FOR THE KINGDOM PART 1**

The insect hybrids tore through the house and barn like the vicious soldiers they were. Breaking down the doors they swarmed in ripping apart walls, furniture and floorboards to find their targets, targets that could not be found anywhere. The men looked around in confusion, they were told that the army of wolf soldiers were hiding out here along with the former lord, so where were they? After the barn was thoroughly searched Magatsuhi along with the rest of their forces approached the old abandoned farm, thinking it was safe.

"We couldn't find them sir, they're gone", a soldier that was part centipede said.

"Don't tell me that, don't you dare tell me you can't find them!" Magatsuhi yelled slamming the large scorpion claws that made up his lower body on the ground. "Do you have any idea what Lord Naraku will do to us if we return to him empty handed?"

"N-n-no", the poor stuttering creature said.

"Well of course you don't, because you'll be dead before you find out", before the man could reply Magatsuhi stabbed him with his large stinger injecting poison into the hybrid's body and killing him in seconds. "Look for tracks!" he ordered the insect legion.

"Sir I think we have a problem", another hybrid with pincers for hands said pointing straight ahead. Many yards away stood the wolf soldiers they were looking for. Looking around Magatsuhi noticed they were now the ones completely surrounded, the tables had been turned much to his anger. Inuyasha stood flanked by his general Koga, their plan was simple, all they had to do was wait in hide in the ditches and trenches outside the farm while the enemy moved in to where they thought they'd be, and then they emerged and surrounded the enemy cutting off their escape.

"Ready whenever you are", Koga smirked looking over at his lord and friend.

"Attack!" Inuyasha ordered and with that the wolves advanced intent on avenging their fallen brethren. The insect hybrids were taken off guard not expecting the surprise attack, losing lines of their forces to the wolves. For Koga's fighters were strong and well-coordinated, cutting down all those in their path.

"What are you all doing? Kill them!" Magatsuhi yelled snapping his men into action. The hybrid creatures retaliated against the wolves with their newly crafted weapons, however they discovered much to their shock that their swords and spears broke and came apart as if they were poorly made. Magatsuhi took at his own sword and easily broke in half as if was made of twigs. "That little bastard purposely made us shoddy weapons", he growled tossing the useless hunk of metal away. Inuyasha chuckled seeing what happened to the enemy.

"Remind me to reward the blacksmith in the town for his loyalty", he told Koga. His general just grinned, he would personally reward the blacksmith himself for sabotaging these bastards.

"Fine well just kill them all with our bare hands", Magatsuhi stomped forward with his many large scorpion legs, leading his soldiers in the charge. The battle started to even out when the insect hybrids got over their initial shock and heavy losses, and started to fight back.

"Don't let a single one of them leave this battlefield, we can't afford one of them informing Naraku of what happened here", Inuyasha commanded, after they eliminated this army of insect abominations they would move on to taking back the kingdom while Naraku remained unaware.

Magatsuhi laughed as he plowed through waves of soldiers even his own allies, knocking aside with his large pincers and flinging his tale about in an attempt to impale them on his stinger. The wolves tried to slash and stab him with their swords and spears only to be met with resistance when their weapons bounced off his thick armored skin.

"Ha! No blade can pierce me!" Magatsuhi laughed and mocked them as they failed to penetrate his exoskeleton. They tried to attack his upper body that resembled a human, but it was a little too high for them to reach and too risky because attacking that part of him would put them in reach of his deadly pincers. Magatsuhi watched as Koga left Inuyasha's side to go help his men and seeing the former lord Inuyasha was now unguarded he made a straight line for him.

"You're making a huge mistake", Inuyasha said mostly to himself as he watched the large scorpion hybrid approach.

"Got you, you're coming with me!" Magatsuhi closed in on him attempting to grab him with his claws. Inuyasha ducked easily dodging him and sliding passed his underbelly. "Slippery fool" he tried to grab him again, but this time Inuyasha drew a sword and stabbed in right into the open pincer that was about to grab him, slipping in between the exoskeleton to the soft vulnerable flesh underneath.

"You were right", Inuyasha said twisting the blade that was stuck in Magatsuhi making him scream in agony. "A blade cant pierce your armored shell, unless I slip in between it to cut deep where it would hurt the most", Inuyasha explained painfully yanking the sword out the enemy's flesh causing a purple ooze to bleed out.

"Gah! Damn you!" Magatsuhi decided to forget his orders to bring in Inuyasha alive, he would kill him right here. He tried to use his tail to sting him to death, but something tethered it holding him back. He looked and saw a roped grappled around his tail held by Koga.

"Oh no you don't!" Koga jumped up and used his sword to slice the stinger off the tail.

"How dare you!" While Magatsuhi was distracted Inuyasha took his chance to attack the human upper half of the despicable creature by slicing off his left hand and cutting open his chest. More dark purple blood oozed out of his wounds as he stumbled to the right. "You'll pay for this!" Magatsuhi flung his blood at them as it turned to acid and burned into the ground, Koga dodged it easily enough, but Inuyasha got a bit on his arm, luckily he wiped it away with his torn sleeve before it burned too much of his skin. Magatsuhi took his chance to make a run for it heading back to the castle and abandoning his men.

"We have to go after him", Inuyasha said sounding frustrated, he had hoped to end Naraku's lackey right here.

"Alright, my wolves can take care of the rest here, let's go!" Koga let Inuyasha lead the way as they chased after Magatsuhi.

MEANWHILE

Back at the castle Kagome sat in the dungeon trying to think of a way out of this. She realized she must have been here for a few hours, counting the minutes was all she could do. Eventually a guard came down dragging her out of the cell and forced her up the stairs saying that Lord Naraku wanted a word with her. She was led to Inuyasha's office and shoved inside, the room itself was a mess with scattered papers and books everywhere. Naraku sat at the desk that didn't belong to him tossing papers and documents around.

"Ah, Kagome, how are you enjoying your accommodations?" he snickered.

"You won't get away with this, Inuyasha is strong even without his power and he's much smarter than someone like you", Kagome said.

"You know I think the first thing I'll transfigure is your mouth, something like a bird beak to go with all that squawking you do", he sneered standing up. "Come with me, I have something that might interest you".

"No", Kagome flinched when he waved his hand turning the chair next to her into a distorted scaly chicken that screeched and hobbled away.

"I suggest you come along if you want to walk out of this room on human feet", he said threateningly. Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat and obeyed. Naraku led her into an area that used to be the servants quarters with all the walls of the bedrooms knocked down creating a large open chamber. Kagome looked around seeing cages filled with horrifying monstrosities, incomplete hybrids and abominations snarling and beating against the bars.

"These are my, shall we say early creations", Naraku said pointing at the hideous creatures. "Inuyasha's powers were a little difficult to figure out, these subjects went mad after their transfigurations".

"Then why keep them? What could you possibly gain by keeping these poor creatures like this?" Kagome asked wondering how someone could be so cruel, this was far worse than anything Inuyasha ever did with his power.

"Oh they still have their uses, they may not be suited to be in my army, but I can still let them loose on other lands and kingdoms to weaken them", he grinned tapping one of the cages next to him.

"Why would you do that?" Kagome asked fearful of the answer.

"To conquer them of course. That fool Inuyasha never tried to expand his kingdom during his hundred year rule, with his power every land could have been under his control", Naraku said walking over to an empty cage picking up a jar holding a small black widow spider next to it. "My vision is greater than his, he was never fit to rule, but now that I'm in control I will lead a campaign to take every kingdom until the entire world is mine", he chuckled as his fingers glowed an eerie purple, he opened the jar dumping the spider into the cage and zapped it with his magical power, forcing the spider to grow in size until it was pressing up against the bars and started wriggling violently in an attempt to get out.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Kagome asked taking a step back.

"Kagome, how would you like to be my Queen?" he asked turning around to face her.

"W-what?" Kagome took another step back.

"If you were to become mine, then you would spared from any transfiguration, I could give you anything you could possibly want", he spoke enticingly, taking a step closer to her.

"I don't know what to say", Kagome took another step back.

"How about yes, it's the best position and protection you'll get", Naraku stopped inches away from her waiting for an answer.

MEANWHILE IN THE TOWN

"Out of my way!" Magatsuhi shouted as he clutched his bleeding stump where his left and used to be, ignoring the bleeding chest wounds as he stomped through the streets of the town, knocking down citizens and his own soldiers with his huge scorpion appendages. Inuyasha and Koga were right on his tail, matching his speed.

"NOW!" Koga yelled, right as Magatsuhi passed a building one of Koga's brethren popped out around the corner with a sword, swinging it in an attempt to decapitate the evil bastard. Luckily for Magatsuhi he ducked in time as he passed by, however the momentary evasion slowed him down enough for Koga to pounce on his back making him trip and roll down the street. With no other option the scorpion hybrid turned around to face his attackers head on.

"Bring it on!" Koga attacked him with punches and kicks while dodging the beast's vicious pincers.

"Die!" Magatsuhi was having trouble keeping up with the wolf leader's speed and agility. Koga outmaneuvered him, using his opponent's large size against him, getting in many solid blows on his weaker human upper half. Magatsuhi stumbled backwards his large scorpion legs giving out beneath him.

"It's over", Inuyasha said watching from the sidelines. Magatsuhi started laughing as he struggled back into a standing a position bleeding from many fatal wounds. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just imagining what Lord Naraku is doing to that stupid woman by now", he laughed spitting up more acidic liquid.

"What", Inuyasha glared dangerously at him.

"Did you think we were so easily fooled by her act, we knew you sent her to spy on us", he grinned at their surprise. "I'm sure Kagome has probably been ripped to bloody pieces by now", Magatsuhi said trying and succeeding to get under their skin. Inuyasha turned to stare at the castle for a moment in thought.

"Koga I'll leave him to you", Inuyasha said giving his general a quick glance.

"Go help her", Koga said getting in another fighting position. "I'll take care of this asshole".

"Make sure he suffers", was the last thing Inuyasha said before taking off down the street that led to the palace to rescue Kagome. Koga watched him leave and then turned to the bastard and smirked cracking his knuckles.

"I don't know what your grinning at you filthy wolf, but in case you didn't notice your all alone now", Magatsuhi sneered rearing up to full height. "I can kill you at my leisure now".

"You and what army?" Koga tossed back.

"Ha! What army!?" Magatsuhi burst out into hysterical laughter as more of the insect hybrids crawled out of the shadows of the buildings and streets moving to stand behind their commanders hulking scorpion body. "This army!"

"Good thing you brought spares", Koga remarked seeing he was outnumbered. Before the insects could charge him all at once they all heard a sound close by. It sounded like wolves howling, but not just a few many, many wolves let at their battle cry as they came rushing in to help their leader and take back their home. "Charge!" the general yelled as the two armies clashed head on.

BACK AT THE CASTLE

"My answer is no, I would never stand by someone so vile!" Kagome yelled at him.

"Vile? But you'll stand by Inuyasha someone who used his power to force his people into subjugation lest they be turned into disgusting monsters!?" Naraku shouted.

"Inuyasha's changed, he's moved on and let go of his anger, your just a cruel monster who won't stop till he gets everything he wants!", Kagome worked up some courage to stand up to him.

"How about I show you what a real monster looks like", Naraku said pointing his glowing hand at her. Kagome saw what he was about to do and immediately turned and started running. She made it out the door and down the corridors deciding to hide in a storage room. Naraku glided down the halls pursuing her at a slow pace as if he was just humoring her.

"Come out, come out", he called stopping at the storage room door that she was hiding in. Kagome was sweating anxiously as she held her breath expecting him to find her. Naraku smirked and continued on his way down the hall rounding the corner out of sight.

'Is he gone?' Kagome wondered peeking her head out of the door looking both ways down the corridor. Deciding it was safe to move she quickly and quietly took off down the opposite end of the hall that Naraku disappeared to.

'I have to get to the vault', Kagome thought as she moved. 'I need to get the sword to Inuyasha'. She carefully made her way thought the castle, sneaking passed the soldiers and servants that worked for Naraku. Eventually she made it to the main hall which was good, from here she could follow the directions to the vault that Shippou gave her. Just as Kagome was starting to make her way down the high ceilinged spacious corridor a giant hand formed out of the stone wall and blocked her path.

"Leaving so soon Kagome?" she turned to see Naraku standing in the main hall behind her with an insidious look on his face. "The fun is just beginning, after all the night is still young after all", he grinned slowly walking towards her.

'This is it for me', Kagome panicked seeing no escape.

"Naraku!" a voice shouted from the other end of the large corridor. He turned around seeing Inuyasha himself standing there unarmed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed happy that he came to save her.

"So you came all this way back just to die like a dog", Naraku stated arrogantly.

"Leave Kagome out of this, it's me you want", Inuyasha said staring down the man that stole his powers.

"Once I'm finished with you, I'll turn her into something repulsive, I won't kill her, maybe she'll make a good pet", he chuckled. Inuyasha didn't let the bastard get to him instead he locked eyes with Kagome, telling her wordlessly to flee. Kagome gave him a look that said she didn't want to leave, but he just reinforced his point with a silent glare. She decided to make her way to the vault and retrieve his sword that way she could still help him.

BACK OUTSIDE

The wolves were battling the insects to a stalemate, a stalemate that lasted until the citizens of the kingdom finally decided to rise up and help. Farmers, business owners and even some nobles joined the fight for their home land. It was starting to become obvious who the victors would be.

"You may have defeated us, but Naraku will just make more!" Magatsuhi laughed taking a swipe at the general.

"That's where you're wrong beast", Koga dodged his attacks and delivered several more blows to the hybrid's human half. Magatsuhi purposely let him get close and attack him, that allowed him to grab Koga with his pincers and hold him tight.

"Now I've got you!" he laughed maniacally as he started to squeeze.

"You really are an idiot", Koga grinned despite being squeezed to death. "We wolves don't fight alone!" Suddenly several big metal hooks attached to chains lodged into his flesh and exoskeleton.

"No!" Magatsuhi was yanked back losing his grip on the wolf leader.

"PULL!" Koga ordered as his brethren started pulling the chains in different directions. In a matter of minutes Magatsuhi was torn apart into bloody pieces. Koga kicked a few chunks of the evil bastard away from him while he looked and regarded his fellow wolves. "It's not over yet, don't start celebrating. We have to help his highness up at the castle!" he said seriously stopping them from cheering.

"Move out!" and they began their march to take back the castle.

MEANWHILE

"You've come a long way from cleaning up the sewers worm", Inuyasha said coldly.

"Could a worm do this?" Naraku waved his hand at the wall as dozens of metal spikes formed at his command. Inuyasha merely stepped back to avoid getting pierced.

"If this and those insect abominations are the best you can do with my power, you'll never get anywhere", he remarked.

"Tell me, why did you come back?" Naraku asked.

"That's hardy your business", he shot back with a glare.

"I see, you came back for Kagome, so you're not just toying with her. You love that woman", Naraku accused with a sneer. "That will make killing her all the sweeter", Inuyasha's glared intensified as he walked towards Naraku slowly but confidently.

"Are you trying to intimidate me?" Naraku laughed not fazed by Inuyasha's stare or close proximity. Why would he be afraid, now that he had all the power? He attempted to strike Inuyasha with his hand, but the silver haired lord easily dodged with grace and fluidity.

"Nice try", gripping Naraku's outstretched arm he delivered a well-placed palm strike to his elbow, dislocating his arm with a snap.

"GAH!" Naraku screamed holding his broken arm. He didn't even get the chance to retaliate, Inuyasha immediately followed up with a series of strikes and punches that could only come from and expert.

"Did you think I was just some spoiled prince who sits in his castle?" Inuyasha asked punching Naraku square in the face, putting the villain in a daze. "My father trained me to be a warrior, just as his father taught him and his father before that", another punch in the jaw to emphasize his point. "I come from a long line of proud warriors or did you not come across that in all your research?"

"Y-you", Naraku stumbled back and was once again punched in the face sending him straight to the floor.

"Stand up worm, I'm taking back what you stole", Inuyasha said taking a few steps towards his downed enemy. "Let's go", Naraku looked up from the floor with black ooze dripping from his broken face to see Inuyasha standing there in a fighting position.

* * *

 **Short chapter I know, this whole climactic battle was too long so I split it up into two chapters. Plus it kind of jumps around a lot and I was worried people would start to get confused.**

 **So does anyone want to read a second story arc to this? Cause I kind of want to do one. Just so you know it will have Sango and Miroku in it, when this arc ends, something happens that will pave the way for their characters to come into this.**

 **A consort is an appropriate title for Kagome right? I need to give her a title later on, a consort isn't always royalty right? Sorry I'm too lazy right now to do research, I usually just pick the brains of my smartest friend.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	12. Chapter12: Battle for The Kingdom Part 2

**BATTLE FOR THE KINGDOM PART 2**

"Damn you!" Naraku's furry got him another blow to the face causing him to stumble back.

"Is that the best you got?" Inuyasha asked watching his enemy lay bruised and bleeding on the floor.

"H-Hardly", Naraku stood up moving his hands away from the cuts on his face. Small black tentacles slithered out of his wounds wriggling around chaotically.

"I knew it! I thought it was odd how easily you were able to change your form without going through the 'process', but now I see that you only changed the outside", Inuyasha said with a glare. "Deep down your still a wretched pile of worms underneath this false skin".

"You think I'm some sort of vile creature, a worm you called me?" Naraku's eyes were hidden beneath his bangs. Inuyasha was right about not being able to truly change his form and only make a good looking outer shell, but it seems even he couldn't except the truth about himself.

"What else could a murdering thief like you be?" He asked.

"I've evolved passed that, with these powers of yours I've reached the level of a god!" the dark haired man laughed.

"There's no such thing as gods", Inuyasha shot back.

"Once the world see's what I can do they'll all bow down and worship me like one", Naraku said excitedly.

"You won't get that far, in fact this is as far as you go", Inuyasha got back into a fighting stance as he waited for his enemy to make a move. Several large purple tentacles shot out of his back and made to attack Inuyasha, but with the white haired man's training that he received from his long dead father it was an easy task to dodge and outmaneuver the disgusting appendages. Suddenly inspiration struck Naraku and he grinned sinisterly.

"I think I've finally figured a form best suited for you", he laughed as he held both hands up. Inuyasha was momentarily blinded by the bright purple light coming from his enemy. He was caught off guard a mistake he would come to regret as he could feel his body morph and change shape.

BENEATH THE CASTLE

Kagome stood in front of the large sealed door that led into the vault. She tried to remember how to open, Inuyasha told her a very specific way to unlock the door. It was some sort of rhyme that was used to remember the numbers on the dials that were key to opening it.

"Seven dogs live on the green hill", she grabbed the first dial and turned it to seven.

"Twelve sleep in the caves of ice", Kagome turned the second dial to the number twelve.

"Twenty in the land where time stands still", the last dial was turned to twenty and the sound of locks moving was finally heard. Kagome also remembered that the number coincided with the last king's birthday. Once the large door was wide open she walked inside the vault. Her eyes glanced over the piles of gold coins and jewels. This was the legendary fortune that the early ancestors of Inuyasha amassed through treasure hunting and other adventures, the fortune they used to build this kingdom. Kagome didn't waste time with the treasure, she was too busy looking for the box that held Inuyasha's sword. She finally spotted the gold ornate chest with symbols and dogs carved into it in the center of the chamber.

"Found it", Kagome said to herself as she approached the fancy gilded box. Opening up the lid she saw the sword she was looking for wrapped in cloth lying in red satin. As she reached for the weapon she received a jolt of power that forced her hand back.

"What was that?" Kagome looked from her hand to the sword in confusion.

" _Who are you?"_ a mysterious voice said almost aggressively.

"Hello, who said that?" Kagome looked around for the voice.

" _I did foolish girl"_ the voice said again. _"Down here"_ , Kagome looked down at the sword in the box.

"The sword?" it seemed crazy that a sword could talk, but it wasn't the craziest thing she had seen in her time in this kingdom.

" _Yes I am the sword foolish girl",_ the weapon said condescendingly. _"I am the great fang Tessaiga and you will refer to me by the name my maker gave me"_

"Tessaiga? You have a name?", Kagome asked _._

" _Of course I have a name foolish girl, even though the son of my make won't call me by that anymore_ ", the sword complained. " _You didn't answer my question. Who are you girl?"_

"My name is Kagome, not girl", she introduced herself cordially. "Why did you push me away Tessaiga?"

" _You're not my maker nor my master, why should I allow you to touch me?"_ The sword asked.

"Because if you don't let me take you then Inuyasha will die", Kagome said urgently.

" _Why should I care for what happens to the son of my maker?"_ Tessaiga's voice sneered.

"You remind me of how Inuyasha used to be", Kagome chuckled seeing the similarities to Inuyasha's indifferent personality when she first met him. "Inuyasha is not the person he used to be anymore and he needs your help".

" _Again I ask, why should I care?"_ the sword asked coldly. Kagome was growing more and more frustrated with how stubborn this sword was, it definitely belonged to Inuyasha. She had to think of a way to convince it to help her help him. An idea suddenly struck her, maybe a little reverse psychology would work.

"Well if you're not strong enough to be any use to him anymore I can understand", Kagome was getting ready to close the box and leave when the sword scoffed at her.

" _What are you implying? That I the great fang Tessaiga am not strong enough to help the son of my maker?"_ It said arrogantly.

"I mean you don't want to help for a reason, maybe you're getting rusty?" she joked earning the swords ire.

" _How dare you speak that way to me girl! What gives you the right to make such assumptions_?" Tessaiga growled at her.

"Listen to me, I need you, Inuyasha needs, the whole kingdom needs you, so will you just swallow your damn pride and work on your issues with him later!" Kagome said rather angrily. The sword remained silent at her surprising outburst and for a second she thought she might have said the wrong thing.

" _Very well if it's so important to you, I'll let down the barrier so you can carry me to the son of my maker_ ", Tessaiga said still trying to sound proud like the act of being carried by someone other than his wielder was so beneath him. " _He is the only one he can wield me with grace and majesty as I deserve_ ".

"Thank you", Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as she reached out and was finally able to touch the clothed sword.

" _Just answer me one question",_ Kagome nodded her headed for him to continue. " _Why do you wish to help Inuyasha_?" She had to think about that for a moment. Why did she want to help him? Why did she always feel the need to help him? Kagome didn't really have to think about it. From the moment she met Inuyasha she felt a strong desire to know him, to understand him and to help him. Kagome could see into his soul despite how many masks and cloaks he tried to hide behind. She could see a man carrying a lot of sorrow and pain in his heart, and she wanted to fix that. Kagome wanted to see him happy, smiling and enjoying life. The answer then came easy for her.

"I want to help him because I love him", Kagome admitted with pure honesty.

" _Well then hurry up and take me to him_ ", Tessaiga continued to be short and condescending with her despite agreeing to come along and hearing her proclaim her love for his master. Kagome carried the sword like it was the most precious thing in the world to her, with Inuyasha's life on the line it definitely was. She hurried up the stairs back to the main part of the castle. Reaching the main hall she was shocked to see it in ruins, parts of the stone walls had crumbled and the high ceiling was caving in some spots.

"Hey Kagome!" she turned to see Koga headed straight towards her.

"Koga! Wait, where are all the soldiers?" Kagome asked hoping he didn't come to the castle alone.

"Don't worry, my boys are busy flushing out the rest of these insect abominations in the castle", he assured her with a smile. "What happened here? Where is Inuyasha?"

"I went to go get his sword while he stayed behind to fight Naraku", she showed him the sword Tessaiga that she carefully held in her arms. They both looked around the great hall for any sign of the Lord's whereabouts. They got their answer unfortunately when a white and red figure came flying over the rubble to crash and roll at their feet. It appeared to be some sort of silvery white hound, Kagome gasped and covered her mouth at the state of it. Huge raw gashes still fresh and bleeding adorned the dog's body, the blood had completely dirtied the once pure white fur. She was unsure it was even alive, but it appeared to be breathing, although barely, more like pained wheezing.

"Oh no…Inuyasha?" Koga said quietly kneeling next to the dog. He could tell by scent, even with all the blood that this was his friend and lord. Kagome was too shocked to say anything, here laid the one she loved in the form of a dog and slowly dying. "That fucking bastard!" Koga growled looking up to see Naraku standing atop the rubble looking triumphant with a big pleased grin on his face.

"Were you perhaps referring to me?" he chuckled looking down on them.

"You're dead!" Koga yelled charging towards him. The two of them engaged in a fight that went unnoticed by Kagome, who was too busy trying to figure out how to save Inuyasha from dying. She tried lifting his head and started forming tears when she saw one of his eyes was gouged out. The arrogant sword lay forgotten on the ground yelling angrily at her for such mistreatment, it matter now though, Inuyasha couldn't use the sword in this form or even in this heavily wounded state.

"K-Kagome", the dog spoke opening its one good eye.

"Inuyasha", Kagome placed her hand on the side of his head in a comforting gesture.

"If you stay here you'll die", he whispered. "You need to leave, go home while you can".

"I can't do that, I would never do that", she said, how could he think that she would flee at time like this.

"Run", he ordered her again. "Please, I don't want to see you die", he mumbled something after that she couldn't quite make out, but the words sounded so familiar, she had to be sure.

"What did you say?" Kagome asked bringer her face closer to the dogs.

"I said I love you", that was unfortunately the last thing he said as his eyes drifted close and his breathing slowed down. Kagome's eyes widened at his declaration, he wasn't the type to admit his feelings unless he felt so strongly and surely about them. She gasped when she realized why he was probably admitting this now of all times.

"Inuyasha wake up", Kagome tried to gently shake his dog body awake at first. "Please wake up!" She shook him with a little more force this time, but still he did not open his eyes. "Please!" Kagome was crying now as she buried her face against his neck in a futile effort to bring him back.

"How touching", Kagome looked up to see Naraku walking towards her. "I think I'm going to throw up", he sneered. She looked for Koga only to find him trapped in a cage made from the stone wall. "Now what should I turn you into?" he said mostly to himself as he tapped his chin. "Half frog, half lizard, half…carrot", Naraku chuckled as he listed off possible ideas on what to transfigure Kagome into. She was frozen in both fear and despair, knowing that Inuyasha was gone and she couldn't do anything to stop this monster.

"Oh well, I'll just improvise", he laughed as his hand glowed a sinister red color. But before he could direct the magical power at Kagome something stopped him. A vicious set of fangs biting into his throat stopped him. Inuyasha had heard what was about to happen and forced himself up to stand, leap forward and sink his teeth into the neck of man who was about to transfigure the woman he cared about more than anything.

"AHH! GET OFF!" Naraku screamed as his throat was torn and ripped apart. He finally had enough and punched the dog in its broken leg making it release him and then he threw Inuyasha into the rubble.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome saw him get thrown over the wreckage of the castle a fear yards away and lost sight of him.

"Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!" Naraku clutched his throat that wouldn't stop bleeding a black liquid, his voice hoarse from his damaged vocal cords. "Now I'll have to make a new skin", he removed his hand as a bunch of black tentacles began slithering and wriggling out the hole on the front of his neck. "But I'll deal with you first", his grinned looked especially disturbing now with a bunch of disgusting appendages writhing out of his throat. Naraku's eyes landed on Kagome who got up and tried to run. She only got a few yards when a large dark tentacle ripped out of his hand like paper and he used it as a whip to trip her.

'I can't get away', Kagome fell forward catching herself before she hit the ground.

"I'm done playing with you! I think I'll just kill you now", Naraku scowled at the fallen girl more tentacles ripped out of his back as he prepared to end this. Meanwhile while that was taking place Inuyasha opened his remaining eye spotting his sword laying right next to him.

"I see, s-so you d-did let Kagome touch you. I knew y-you would", he would smile if his dog form would allow it. "Tessaiga"

" _You used my name_ ", the sword spoke sounding surprised and awed. " _You haven't used my name in such a long time_ ".

"S-sorry about that, I h-had forgotten it", his voice strained to admit, his breathing was becoming more difficult. "I had f-forgotten a lot of things".

" _Did that girl Kagome make you remember them_?" Tessaiga asked. Inuyasha chuckled painfully as a yes.

"Tessaiga, how much of my power do you have?" He asked with a whisper.

" _I have_ _enough, son of my maker, Inuyasha_ ", the sword said solemnly. Inuyasha struggled to lift a single paw and place it on top of the weapon letting the magical power stored away into it flow into. It was just enough of his power to transfigure himself once and he had the perfect form in mind to end this.

"You die here", Naraku growled about to strike with tentacles from his back to rip the girl to shreds. However a large shadow cast directly over them and a giant paw slammed into the ground next to Kagome. She looked up to see a giant white dog standing over her protectively, easily filling the ruins of great hall with just enough room to move around.

"What the hell!?" Naraku stared in fear at the colossal hound looming above him, two golden yellow eyes glared hatefully down at him.

"Inuyasha, is that you?" the dog didn't answer Kagome, but she knew it was him. Naraku took a step back and that was when the giant dog struck, lashing out with its jaws of huge sword-like teeth. He tried to turn and flee or perhaps tactically retreat, but it still looked like running. Unfortunately he didn't get very far and his legs were chomped on making him scream as he was lifted into the air. Inuyasha didn't stop there, he shook Naraku around violently, like a dog playing with its favorite toy, and tossed him into the rubble like a ragdoll.

"Don't you dare ever lay a hand on her!" Inuyasha bellowed down at his enemy. Naraku struggled to catch his breath while he laid on the rocks and bricks, his legs were now useless having been crushed and mangled by massive jaws.

"This can't be, how did he transfigure himself? He has no power anymore", he gasped. More tentacles slithered out of his legs at the knees to replace the loss of mobility. His smirk returned when he noticed the jewel of power still dangling from his torn neck. "It doesn't matter I'll just match him with something equally big", he chuckled as his body began to glow an ominous purple.

"Are you alright Kagome?" The giant dog that was Inuyasha asked looking down at her.

"I'm fine, what about you?" She asked back.

"Better now", the large canine shook itself once. Any further conversation was interrupted when a large mass of flesh and appendages crawled out the rubble. It looked like a giant wriggling mass of tentacles and at least six giant worm creatures with large maws of teeth hissing and growling and at the top of this monstrosity Naraku's body, what remained of it at least, sat connected to the beast. His entire upper body was still partially there connecting at the waist to this nightmarish creature that easily matched the size of Inuyasha's giant dog form.

"Is that the best you can do!?" Inuyasha growled at him.

"We shall see if your pitiful might can match my unlimited power!" The two titans charged forward, colliding with each other in the middle of the great hall. Inuyasha's mighty jaws clamped onto the center of the creature's mass, pushing him backward. The giant worm creatures forced him to release them by biting into him in different places. Inuyasha ignored the pain and focused on destroying Naraku by ripping out pieces of his flesh, he even managed to rip one of those disgusting worm heads clean off. Meanwhile as their battle was taking place Kagome was watching while staying clear of the collapsing walls and pieces of the falling ceiling. Inuyasha swiped at Naraku with a giant paw aiming high on purpose, the creature stumbled back and in that single moment the jewel slipped from around Naraku's neck.

"No!" time slowed down as he attempted to grab it, unfortunately his hand slipped and it fell out of his reach. "No! No! NO!" The jewel fell bouncing off his tentacles and landed somewhere in the rubble. Kagome saw, she saw all of it, even where the jewel landed and she knew what to do to end this once and for all. Running over to the wreckage she dodged massive stomping paws and angry whipping tentacles as she ran over the broken stones of the castle.

"Oh no you don't!" the upper body of Naraku's remaining human form stretched out like a long snake to chase after her while the giant part of his body struggled to hold Inuyasha back. Kagome freaked out seeing the man coming straight at her while still connected to the beast by a long dark appendage. She quickened her pace as she climbed atop the rubble to get to the jewel. Just as Kagome's hand came close to the small glowing orb she felt a hand grab her ankle.

"Let go!" Naraku had a hold of her and attempted climb over her to get to the jewel first.

"It's mine! MINE!" He was almost to it when Kagome grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. She tried to reach out for it, but Naraku grabbed ahold of her hair painfully. Kagome was just an inch from the jewel when I idea struck her. She quickly grabbed a nearby rock and hit him over the side of the head with it. That one stroke of brilliance was all she needed to make Naraku lose his grip on her hair and give her the chance to grab the jewel.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome threw the jewel with all her strength towards the giant dog.

"NO!" Naraku's human body followed after it, and just when he came so close to where it landed a giant white paw came down in front of him crushing the jewel into tiny bits underneath. The power that was once held inside it flowed into the giant dog wrapping it in liquid gold. Naraku stared in shock in fear as the canine began to shrink and morph, returning Inuyasha to his original human form. Kagome watched as he returned to the long mercury haired, golden eyed man that she loved, wearing a loose white robe that seemed to flutter in a nonexistent wind.

"Thank you Kagome", he said just loud enough for her to hear as she came to stand directly behind him. His gaze then turned to anger and amusement as he regarded Naraku who had retracted back to the top of his disgusting monster body.

"You see Naraku, you thought you mastered my power, but you only scratched the surface", He took a step forward making Naraku who was so much bigger actually flinch. "I on the other hand, I've had a century to completely master all of it", Inuyasha snapped his fingers and his magic sword came flying out of the rubble, he easily caught the hilt with his hand. He sent his power into the blade and Tessaiga transformed into a giant majestic fang shaped sword. "This was the first technique I ever created, my father dubbed it The Wind Scar", magic and wind began to gather as he held the sword up with both hands.

"Wait! Wait!" Naraku's giant body tried to back away in a desperate attempt to escape his fate. Inuyasha swung his sword downward unleashing a torrent of bright yellow power that tore through the great hall and the monster along with it. Kagome watched in awe, she had never seen Inuyasha use the sword before and it was amazing and beautiful to say the least. Naraku's entire body was shredded and torn apart by the unstoppable power and in seconds he was rendered ashes on the floor.

"This is my kingdom, my power and these are my people. They are all mine to protect", Inuyasha said walking towards the remains of his enemy. Pushing the smoke away with a single swing he saw what was left of Naraku.

"GAAAAH! IT HURTS SO MUCH!" The half man half creature screamed and writhed on the floor. All that remained was half his face, torso and his left arm, in place of the missing parts was a writhing mass of skinny tentacles that twitched and wriggled in pain.

"I won't make the same mistake I made with Ryukotsei", Inuyasha threatened pointing his sword at Naraku's half blown off face. "I WON'T!"

"Wait! Please don't!" Naraku held his only hand up begging for mercy. Instead of destroying him with the sword Inuyasha had a better idea. He pointed his hand at his enemy as bolts of magical energy shot out of his fingers at Naraku and slowly little by little he began to dissolve into a disgusting puddle of green slime. The sludge bubbled for a moment before finally stilling completely.

"What did you do to him?" Kagome asked curiously.

"I turned him into nothing, my definition of nothing", Inuyasha stayed returning his sword to its previous smaller form.

"Is he still alive?" She asked keeping a safe distance from the gross slime.

"Yes he's still alive and conscious, but with no solid form he can never speak or move ever again", it seemed kind of dark to condemn someone to such a fate, but she was sort of relieved that Inuyasha didn't kill him.

"So it's over now?" Kagome questioned just to be sure.

"Yes", Inuyasha sat down on a slab of rubble and allowed himself the moment to relax. Kagome sat behind him, wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her face in his long soft hair. She was just glad he was alive and unharmed now that all this horribleness was over.

"This is all well in good", Koga said from a short distance away still trapped in a cage of stone. "But could you please get me out of this your highness?", he asked leaning up against the cage.

"Oh quit complaining", Inuyasha waved his hand and the cage dissolved into sandy dust.

"So the castle has been reclaimed, Naraku is gone, what's next?" He asked sitting next to Inuyasha. Kagome smiled resting her chin on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"We start the cleanup boys", She said sweetly. The two men looked around at the destruction the battle caused, sighing at the hassle it was going to be to fix all this ruin.

"Lovely", Inuyasha remarked with sarcasm. He still tried to act all cold and distant to save face, but with Kagome's arms wrapped around him he felt all warm on the inside and couldn't help but smile.

* * *

 **Not the end. I decided not to do a second story arc, at least not yet. I'll come back to this another time to do a sequel. There's still a few more chapters to go for this, it's not over yet.**

 **It always bothered me how hard it was to kill Naraku in the canon of Inuyasha. I know his whole thing is that he's a coward and always runs away, but Inuyasha is partly to blame for that too. Whenever he rips the creep apart with the wind scar he pauses to see if it killed him and I'm like "Don't stop, keep hitting him with it!" Double tap baby, double tap.**

 **Tessaiga talks, that might seem weird, but hey it's an AU in a made up fantasy world, so magic sword I can do whatever I want with it. I actually had several different personalities for it, but I went with a real arrogant proud personality, it just seemed to fit.**

 **I liked to thank Shellnet for the little classroom lesson on a consort. That's not sarcasm, I sincerely thought it was quite interesting.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	13. Chapter13: The Magical Queen

**THE MAGICAL QUEEN AND THE CHILDREN OF THE MOON**

Things had started to settle down now that the battle was over. It took a few days to regain control of the kingdom and inform everyone that Naraku and his army was defeated, and Lord Inuyasha had reclaimed his throne. The dark clouds that hovered ominously over the kingdom had faded thanks to his highness allowing the sun to shine down on all.

All the insect soldiers that were still alive were captured, and Inuyasha personally turned them back into the small bugs they originally were instead of executing them. The voiceless sludge that Naraku was turned into was collected in several containers and buried up in the mountains in an unmarked grave. After that he made sure to return Kanna to the human form he gave her and ordered the pale rabbit eared girl to find all of Naraku's research and bring it to him to be dealt with. Inuyasha planned on collecting every scrap of information that pertained to the jewel Naraku created that stole his power and destroy it all to insure that this never happened again.

"Look at the mess he made of my office", Inuyasha said sitting at his desk going through the scattered documents that Naraku left in a disorganized heap.

"Most of these appear to be battle strategies and maps of other lands", Koga said helping Inuyasha go through this mess.

"He said he wanted to conquer other kingdoms with his army and your power", Kagome added, she too was helping them go through the papers.

"How pathetically predictable", Inuyasha rolled his eyes at such a stupid plan.

"Would anyone like some tea?" Kagome asked getting up from the couch.

"Yes please", Inuyasha said politely with a small smile.

"None for me though", Koga waved her off and waited for her to leave the office before grinning at his friend. "Well you certainly seem more cheerful".

"I am not cheerful, your imagining things", Inuyasha said back stoically.

"I heard what you said to her, I have enhanced hearing remember", he reminded him pointing at his furry wolf ears. "You said you loved her".

"Does it look like I'm denying it?" Inuyasha asked stone faced.

"No, but it wouldn't kill you to express how happy you really are, just a bit", Koga told him. Inuyasha sighed and placed his pen down on the desk.

"You're right, perhaps it is time for a change", he said letting his façade drop just slightly showing actual peace on his face for once. Inuyasha then made plans to have the castle repaired from the damages it sustained from the battle. He had a missive sent to the town below for anyone who wished to work and help with the repairs, help that would be rewarded handsomely of course. He wanted the castle brought back to its original glory, but with a few minor changes that would perhaps make the palace seem less menacing then it used to be.

LATER

Kagome stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. She had just taken a bath and was now headed back to her room, normally she would bring a change of clothes with her since the bathing chamber was down the hall from her room, but she was so tired from the busy day that just went straight for the bath. Upon reaching her room she walked inside and was greeted to an unpleasant surprise. The closet and dresser was cleaned out, even all her belongings and notebooks appeared to be missing.

"What's going on here?" She looked around for something to wear, but found nothing. Stepping outside she saw the fox boy Shippou and waved him over. "Hey Shippou come here for a moment".

"Oh, what is it?" Shippou blushed and averted his eyes seeing her all wet in a towel.

"What happened to all my belongings?" Kagome asked trying to keep the aggravation from her voice.

"Lord Inuyasha ordered me to have all your things moved to the Royal Wing, I was actually on my here to inform you", he said keeping his eyes glued to the floor out of respect. "I'm so sorry for not getting here quicker".

"It's okay Shippou the only one who should be apologizing is Inuyasha", Kagome was so annoyed she didn't even bother with his title. She was mad that he went and did something like this without asking her if it was okay and when she saw him she planned on giving him a piece of her mind about it. Kagome marched through the corridors clad in only a damp towel, ignoring the looks the other servants gave her. When she arrived the guards let her into the Royal Wing without a word making Kagome scoff, it seems they too were more informed then she was.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called rather crossly as soon as the double doors closed behind her. Walking down the hall she found him in his large bedroom sitting in a chair like he was waiting for her.

"You sound mad about something?" Inuyasha couldn't help the playful smirk that formed on his face. "What happened?" he asked seeing her in nothing but a towel.

"Oh nothing, I just took a bath, but when I went back to my room I found all my clothes missing", she glared at him while his smirk disappeared realizing his slight error in judgement. "I ran into Shippou and he told me that you had all my stuff moved here", she pointed at the floor for emphasis.

"Oh, I see", he smiled apologetically standing up to step closer to her. "Sorry"

"You could have just asked me you know", Kagome said with a blush realizing that she was almost completely naked. "I would have been okay with you wanting to give me a room in your personal wing".

"Sorry I'm not used to asking for permission, its foreign to me, but your wrong in that I'm giving you a room in this wing", Inuyasha smiled stepping closer to her.

"What?" Kagome was confused, what room was she supposed to stay in then?

"I want you to stay in my room with me", he pointed over to the table where he laid out her things respectfully to place where she preferred them.

"You want me to stay in here, with you?" she swallowed nervously.

"Well yes, that's what I just said", Inuyasha gently cupped the side of her face. "So will you? I can arrange another room if you like"

"N-No this is fine", Kagome smiled up at him earlier anger forgotten. She went to go pick out something to wear for tonight when an arm snaked around her waist from behind.

"I think putting clothes on right now might be kind of pointless", he whispered in her ear. Inuyasha gently removed the towel from her while kissing along her neck. Kagome gasped as the air hit her exposed body, but couldn't suppress the shutter of excitement as his lips moved from her neck to her shoulder. She snaked an arm around the back of his head while he lifted her and carried her towards the bed. This whole mess the past week had kept them busy but now they finally had the chance to express their love for each other quite physically. A couple hours of passion later Inuyasha and Kagome decided to take a break and just lay there on the bed naked.

"I never noticed this before", Kagome sat up with the white sheet wrapped around her body while Inuyasha lay on his back next to her with the same sheet covering his lower area. She curiously traced what looked like a tattoo of a blue crescent moon around his belly button.

"I've always had it", Inuyasha sighed feeling her soft hands caressed his ab muscles. "It's a symbol of my ancestors on my mother's side, apparently everyone one with any sort of magical gift has this crescent moon somewhere on their body", he explained.

"That's interesting", Kagome smiled at him lovingly, she liked how easily he opened up to her now.

"You think so?" Inuyasha reached up and ran his fingers through her long dark hair. He gently pulled her to lay on top of him and kissed her deeply. The next morning the two of them woke up in their now shared bed and took a bath together.

"Which cloak do you want to wear today?" Kagome asked opening up his closet.

"I was thinking of something different", Inuyasha said sitting on the bed with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Really?" Kagome popped her head out of the closet doors in surprise.

"Yes, perhaps a change of wardrobe is in order, I have been wearing the same style for decades and would like to try something different", he explained. "I would like you to pick something for me, nothing gaudy, and I prefer comfort over appearance", he told her his preferences while she smiled at him and began picking out an appropriate wardrobe from the other clothes. In the end she choose a long sleeve white collared buttoned shirt, with a black velvet vest, black pants and black shoes.

"I think I like this", Inuyasha said clipping the buttons on his sleeves.

"Just one last piece", Kagome walked up to him holding a dark red tie which she wrapped around his collar and tied it for him. Inuyasha caught her hand before she pulled away and sweetly kissed the back of her hand. Kagome went to go get her outfit for today, but he stopped her and pointed a box that he left on the bed. Opening it Kagome was greeted to the sight of a brand new maid uniform, it looked similar to her previous one except it was made from nicer materials, all black and had frills along the skirt and sleeves.

"It's lovely thank you!" Kagome immediately put it on and carried out her duties for the day with a new twist. Inuyasha no longer ordered her to do things, but instead he asked her politely with respect. She still did as she was told, but it was still very sweet of him to take her feelings into consideration. A lot of the servants tuned their heads at the sight of Lord Inuyasha and his new outfit, but most were just surprised to see his face for the first time. Many women were blushing and gasping at how handsome he was. Later in the day Inuyasha took Kagome up to the highest tower in the castle where he wanted to show her something.

"Take a look at the mountains", he pointed at the mountain range, the very same range that blocked all the roads and kept the kingdom isolated.

"What am I looking for?" Kagome asked, he merely smiled at while holding his hand out. He looked to be straining a bit as he concentrated his power. Slowly, little by little the mountains began to morph and change shape, and the roads that were once blocked were now open to allow passage into the kingdom of Lunaria. "What did you do?"

"I opened up the pathways to the kingdom, I feel it's time I stopped hiding my kingdom from the world and let it become part of it", Inuyasha explained turning around, he stumbled a bit and Kagome had to catch him from falling. "I'm fine just give me a moment", he said placing a hand on his chest.

"What's wrong?" Kagome looked at him with concern.

"It's nothing, it's just that when I use my powers depending on the scale of which I transfigure something it can put a bit of a strain on my body", he breathed out as he wiped a few drops of sweat from his brow. "I'll be fine, don't worry", he assured her. After taking a moment Inuyasha stood up right and walked down the steps of the tower like nothing had happened, Kagome followed behind him keeping a close eye on him.

"I also felt I should let you know that I've decided on another big decision concerning the kingdom", he stated. "I've decided to turn the people back to normal".

"Really?" Kagome looked happy that he would do something so kind.

"Yes, and I want you to help me. You Kagome gave me the idea that some people prefer the way they are now, so for those who wish to be human again will be reverted back and those who wish to stay the same will be left as such", Inuyasha explained his plan to her while they walked. "Criminals on the other hand will be left as they are until their sentences end".

"This is a great kind thing you're doing Inuyasha", Kagome said enthusiastically. She was so proud that he was finally letting go of his anger and distaste that he held for people.

ONE WEEK LATER

The castle was still undergoing repairs and modifications that were nearing completion. While that was taking place Inuyasha made good on his word and sent out notifications to the citizens for all those who wished to be transfigured back into normal human beings. He was pleasantly surprised when only about a dozen people showed up to the castle for the process. Apparently these citizens were middle aged and wanted to hand their businesses off to their children before travelling the world now that the borders were open. It would certainly make traveling to other lands easier when you looked like a normal person and not like a creature. Inuyasha sympathized with them for he too wished he could travel to other lands sometimes. Just like that a little bit of his faith in people was restored.

At the end of the week an interesting event took place. Several of Koga's scouts reported seeing some sort of strange creature flying around the mountains and reported it back to him. None of them were able to get a good look at it, but after circling the mountains for a while it started to fly towards the town and castle putting the soldiers on high alert.

"Your highness we have a problem", Koga said urgently having finally found Inuyasha who apparently decided to take a stroll through the halls.

"What's wrong now?" Inuyasha sighed in annoyance as he kept walking, he had been having a nice day until just now.

"Some strange creature my boys spotted flying towards the castle, it will be here soon", Koga watched as Inuyasha stopped walking and turned to him. He still wasn't used to his lord walking around with his face and hair exposed for all to see.

"What did it look like?" Inuyasha had an idea, but wanted to be sure before confirming his suspicions. General Koga produced a piece of paper reporting the creature's appearance after it flew low enough to get a decent look at it.

"The creature is described as completely white resembling some sort of bird, but at the same time its body while feathered is long and serpent like", he said reading from the paper.

"I thought so", Inuyasha said continuing his walk.

"Pardon?" Koga looked confused at his statement.

"Tell your men to stand down and let the creature land. Don't anyone try to attack her, she's a lot stronger than she appears, and tell her I'll be waiting in the throne room", Inuyasha commanded leaving his general even more confused, but he did as he was told and ordered his boys to let the creature land which it did at the main doors to the castle. Koga waited there by the large double doors to greet it, he didn't need to wait long as a few moments later a large gust of wind from the sky was the only warning he received when it landed before the steps to the main doors. The creature looked exactly how it was described a beautiful and elegant winged beast with a long white feathered body and bright brown eyes staring down at the line of soldiers who stood nervously before it.

"Do not harm that creature, your Lord Inuyasha forbids it!" Koga yelled seeing his men reaching for their weapons making them stop and obey their commander. Just the bird-like creature began to morph and change, shrinking down to the form of an incredibly beautiful dark haired woman wearing elegant pink and magenta robes. The woman wore a red wreath on her head like a crown as she made her way up the stairs with no shoes.

"Good afternoon I'm here to see Lord Inuyasha", the woman spoke in a pleasant yet commanding tone of voice that only someone of royalty could have.

"Yes, he's waiting for you in the throne room", Koga kept a close eye on her just in case she turned out to be an enemy. "I'll escort you".

"Oh it's okay I know where it is", she smiled at him giving him a pat on the shoulder walking passed the commander of the kingdoms army like it was nothing. Koga sputtered in shock and followed after her not about to leave a stranger on their own in the castle.

"How do you know where the throne room is?" He questioned, more like interrogated as they walked.

"I don't remember you, what is your job here?" The woman ignored his question and turned the inquisition back on him.

"I'm the general of Lord Inuyasha's army, Commander Koga of the wolves", he introduced himself as he followed next to her but a step behind.

"Ah, I see, he must of transfigured the wolves from the forests into a human form and employed them to be the policing force of the kingdom, that's clever", She smiled, but it wasn't smug it seemed like she was beaming with pride at what Inuyasha had done. Without any more questions the two of them arrived at the large double doors that led into the now fully repaired throne room. Two guards opened the doors and the woman walked inside without hesitation. Inuyasha sat on his throne watching her enter with a bored expression on his face as he rested his head on his hand. Kagome stood next to him looking at the strange woman with curiosity after hearing what all the commotion was about she was eager to see what the creature everyone was talking about was.

"Hello Inuyasha", the woman said with a small warm smile. "It's been a long time".

"That it has, what are you doing back here?" He said a little harshly.

"I noticed you opened the paths in and out of the kingdom and I thought it time for a visit", she said back. "I see a lot of things have changed", the woman said eyeing his new wardrobe with appreciation. "Your demeanor certainly has changed since we last spoke".

"And how would you know? You didn't exactly stick around to see for yourself", Inuyasha practically spat with venom. "Did you? Mother", Kagome who had remained silent until now as she watched the interaction between the two suddenly gasped in shock. This was Inuyasha's mother, this was the magical sorceress who fell in love with the king and gave birth to the magic prince.

"Ah! Kagome, it's a pleasure to see you again", she smiled turning her attention to the young woman.

"I-I'm sorry your…um…your majesty, but I don't believe we've met before", Kagome wasn't sure how she knew her, she would have remembered meeting a sorceress as lovely as her.

"Oh forgive me", she chuckled as she apologized. "You probably don't recognize me, is this better", the sorceress transformed her appearance into that of an old woman that took Kagome a moment to realize that it was the same woman from the library that she met in Jutaria before she came to this kingdom.

"You're that nice old lady who gave me the map to this land!" Kagome exclaimed. Inuyasha chuckled at her expression.

"That's her ability Kagome. Whereas I can transfigure anyone and anything, my mother can only transfigure herself", Inuyasha said with amusement in his tone as Izayoi returned to her original form, however what Kagome said about his mother giving her a map to the kingdom caused him to frown.

"Leave us!" he ordered. Koga stepped out of the room without saying a word about the situation. Kagome was about to leave too, but a gentle and gripping hers stopped her. Inuyasha stared into her eyes warmly as if saying he wasn't ordering her to leave. "Kagome, I would greatly appreciate it if you could bring a fresh pot of tea to the sitting room in the royal wing".

"Of course", she smiled and nodded at him.

"Thank you", Inuyasha watched her leave then turned his gaze at his mother who wouldn't stop smirking knowingly at him.

"The way you speak to her, it reminds me of how your father and I spoke to each other", Izayoi remarked looking at her son.

"So you manipulated this, it was you who sent Kagome here", he accused. If there was one thing he hated it was being manipulated like a pawn.

"Kagome appeared one day in the library I happened to frequent looking for the origin of your story", Izayoi explained. "She would have ended up here on her own even if I did nothing, so I merely pointed her in the right direction".

"Is that how you see it?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.

"I had a feeling that you would enjoy her curious and inquisitive nature. I had hoped her innocence would remind you of what you had forgotten", Inuyasha remained silent at that knowing she was right. "However I did not expect you to fall in love with her Inuyasha, you did that all on your own", Izayoi smiled at him victoriously.

"I suppose you're right, I didn't expect that either", Inuyasha sighed letting his façade drop in front of his mother showing how happy he looked. "You know for a long time I hated you mother for several reasons", now Izayoi remained silent while he spoke getting a sad look on her face. "I hated you for leaving me alone when I needed you the most, I hated you for not supporting my decisions after father died, but most of all I hated you for this power I was born with that made me the center of the kingdom".

"Inuyasha", his mother whispered.

"After many years I calmed down and started to look at things differently, I didn't hate you anymore, but I didn't care in the slightest for you", Inuyasha paused for a moment before continuing. "Then Kagome came into my life and started awakening all these old feelings I thought I was rid of. If it wasn't for her you'd be looking at a son who couldn't care less for you, but now you're looking at a son who wants to apologize, set things right and is happy to see his mother again", he stood up from his throne and took a step towards Izayoi who immediately grabbed her son in a hug and started weeping tears of joy.

"I knew the real you was still in there somewhere", she cried happily.

"Come let's talk in the sitting room over tea", he smiled at her leading her out of the throne room to the royal wing.

"Look at my dashing son, all grown up and offering tea like a gentleman", she giggled as she took his arm and let him lead her down the corridor. "I remember when you were young and you loved hot chocolate, it's all you ever wanted to drink", she recalled.

"That was a long time ago", he shot back not liking embarrassing stories being recounted of when he was a child. The two of them made it to the sitting room of the royal wing where a fresh pot of tea was already waiting for them on a small round table. Inuyasha sat on one end while Izayoi sat on the other side. He smirked seeing the cup already poured for himself, knowing Kagome must have added the right amount of sugar and cream that he liked.

"Mother I need to ask you something that's been bothering me a long time and now that Kagome is an important part of my life I need to know this now more than ever", she waited patiently for him to form his question. "What exactly are we mother? I know we're not normal humans if we have these powers, so what are we then?" he asked taking a sip from his cup before pouring his mother a cup.

"That's kind of long story", she said putting some sugar into her tea and stirring it with a spoon.

"I've got plenty of time to hear it", Inuyasha said waiting for her to begin.

"It started about a thousand years ago, there was this group of women who formed a cult. They were incredibly beautiful but despised all men, for the only men they encountered where only attracted to them for their beauty and not their personalities or intelligence. The only man they respected was the god of the moon they worshiped", Izayoi chuckled at this part of the story. "In fact they loved the moon god so much they began a ritual that would summon him in physical form to their temple where the planned to offer themselves to him to be his brides", Izayoi started giggling at the next part. "Imagine their surprise when they stood there completely naked and waiting for their god, but when he appeared it was actually a woman. There is no moon god, but there is a moon goddess".

"The moon is female and the sun is male", Inuyasha said chuckling lightly, something even he knew.

"Yes, now the women were shocked to discover this but their love and respect for her didn't change and the moon goddess was moved by their devotion so she bestowed upon each of them a gift", she paused here letting the story and the purpose behind it sink in. "Each of them was given a unique and great magical power".

"So that's where our power comes from?" Inuyasha asked setting his cup down.

"Indeed, but there's more to it than that. The moon goddess left them with the parting advice that they shouldn't give up on men yet and find one that will love them for who they are".

"I'm guessing they did", Inuyasha finished for his mother.

"Correct, they all found a man who they could love and loved them as the deserved to be and after they married the women discovered another gift the moon goddess bestowed", Izayoi paused seeing understanding dawn on her son's face. "Any child they gave birth too would also be bestowed with the moon's kiss"

"The moon's kiss?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Remember, I told you that all people with a magical gift bare the mark of the moon", she turned her head and lifted her hair showing him the light blue crescent moon on the back of her neck, the same one that Inuyasha had on his belly. "That mark shows that we are blessed by the moon goddess at birth and thus we are named the children of the moon"

"So that's what we are? The Children of the Moon", he stated. "But how come there are not more of us if every child born of them is bestowed a magical gift?

"I was getting to that, you see Inuyasha that gift came with a price unfortunately. The women could only have one child, after that they could never become pregnant ever again", Izayoi explained with a sad smile. "That's why the moon goddess advised them to find a man whom they loved with all their heart because once they had a child that was it. That's why I never married until I met your father Inutaisho, he was the only man I would ever want to have a single child with".

"So I could only ever have one child?" Inuyasha seemed dejected at that. Izayoi just giggled at that prompting him to ask what was so funny about this.

"Inuyasha you don't realize how special you are", she said with a warm grin.

"What are you talking about?" he asked not fully understanding.

"You are the first and only male ever born from a child of the moon, perhaps the most powerful by all accounts", she said referring to herself. "I said the price only affected the women and all their female offspring, but you on the other hand are a man, so if you were to impregnate a woman of your choosing as long as she's a regular human then you can have as many children as you desire", Inuyasha's eyes widened at that, he realized that he could actually have a family, even a large family if he wanted.

"So why did you want to know all this so desperately?" Izayoi asked taking a sip of her tea.

"Well I just wanted to know in case I…", he trailed off blushing a little. "In case I wanted to have offspring someday soon and they wanted to know what they are and where their powers come from I could tell them like a father would", Inuyasha told her honestly.

"I see, with Kagome then I'm sure she'd make a great wife", Izayoi commented. "So when do you plan on asking her?" Inuyasha blushed a deeper shade of red.

"I don't know", Izayoi smiled at her nervous her son was, she slipped off her wedding ring and showed it to her.

"Give her this", she offered. Inuyasha was surprised that she would give him her wedding ring to give to Kagome, but he frowned thinking of a better idea.

"Thank you mother for offering me this, but I can't accept this. I have something else in mind to give to her", he stated while Izayoi smiled with pride for her son and put her ring back on. They decided to change the subject of conversation and catch up on years of her absence as well as recent events that happened in the kingdom, including the dragon Ryukotsei and Naraku's evil scheme to try and take over the kingdom.

Unknown to them Kagome stood in the hall outside the sitting room listening to every word. She heard the whole story of the moon goddess and found it touching, already planning on adding it to her father's book. However she almost fell over when she heard the part about Inuyasha wanting to marry her and have kids. Kagome realized she shouldn't have been eavesdropping and left quietly before she was discovered. Heading down the hall she thought about what it would be like to live here the rest of her life, she never thought about having children before, but now she wondered what they would look like.

'I hope they look like Inuyasha' she thought with a smile imagining a bunch of boys with golden eyes and silvery hair running around the castle, laughing and getting into trouble.

* * *

 **Wow this was a long chapter, longer than I intended. I had this one in mind for a while now where his mom comes back after Inuyasha finally starts to change for the better. Remember that old lady in the library that Kagome talked to in chapter one.**

 **Izayoi, her power is that she can only transfigure herself. The whole back story on the Children of the Moon is pretty straight forward. Inuyasha's new outfit that he wears now is pretty much the same as the picture for the cover, I just had to put him in a shirt and vest.**

 **There's only a few chapters left, maybe three. I know I'm kind of neglecting my other stories like Magic Mirror and my Bleach story, but this happens when I get close to the end of a story. So once this is finished I won't be starting a new story for a while and instead I'll focus more on my existing ones.**

 **Thanks for reading**


	14. Chapter14: The Invitation

**THE INVITATION**

"Your majesty!" A short blonde haired woman said rushing into her queen's personal study.

"What is it Kilala?" A woman dressed in royal red and pink garb asked sitting in a large deep crimson leather chair. The queen had dark brown hair and eyes and was surprisingly young looking for a queen, appearing about twenty years of age.

"I have big news from Jutaria your majesty", the woman said excitedly.

"Kilala, we've been friends for years you can call me by my name when we're alone, I've you this a thousand times", the Queen smiled at her childhood.

"Sorry Lady Sango, I sometimes forget", Kilala chuckled rubbing the back of her head.

"So what is our neighboring kingdom up to that has you so excited?" Sango asked.

"Well it's not Jutaria, but word had spread of the lost kingdom of Lunaria finally being open to travelers", she said handing her the newspapers she acquired from local stands. "Everyone's talking about it".

"Interesting, my grandmother told me stories of Lunaria, she said the prince had a great magical power", Sango hummed in thought.

"Do you think that could be true, I mean the kingdom just became miraculously accessible now", Kilala silenced herself when Sango raised her hand.

"Of course I don't, the tale of the magic prince is just a bed time story. Most likely an earthquake opened the mountain paths and now the kingdom is open again", the queen said not believing in the supernatural or fantastical forces.

"So what do we do about it?" Kilala asked.

"Well it would be in our best interest to perhaps start on good terms with whoever the current ruler is. Kilala have an invitation to my brother's wedding sent to the kingdom", Sango said looking over the newspaper article once again.

"As you wish Lady Sango", Kilala bowed and left to prepare the letter and find a messenger who was ready to travel.

"It's strange, no one has ventured to the now open kingdom yet, it sounds like they're afraid of a few measly fairy tales", she chuckled to herself reading the articles.

JUTARIA

In a large circular room with desks surrounding a podium a group of fifty men conversed about a growing political issue. Jutaria was not ruled by a single ruler, rather it was controlled by a single parliament made up of twenty five young men and twenty five old to keep a good balance of views. They were talking about the lost kingdom of Lunaria and how the pathways have been open and accessible for over a month now.

"Why should we be worrying over a lost country, I doubt they have much fighting power up in the north", an elder said.

"Perhaps we should send an emissary to find out exactly what it's like there and if they are peaceful?" A younger man questioned.

"There's no telling how dangerous that kingdom could be, we've all heard the stories and stories like that are used to ward people away from dangerous places", another man said.

"Let's just extend an olive branch, we send an invitation to the lord of Lunaria asking him to come here and then we can find out his intentions, but on our territory where it's safe", a lot of the parliament agreed with the man's idea.

"I hate to break it to you all, but her majesty Sango of Queensland has already beat us to the punch", a bunch of startled murmurs followed. "Our sources say she has sent an invitation to the ruler of Lunaria to come to her brother Kohaku's wedding", more words and arguments were sparked from that.

"I've got it, why not just send one of our own members to the wedding and talk to him?" A young man suggested. "We also received the same invitation right?" They all began debating who should be the one to go until one young man in his early twenties stood up.

"I volunteer to be the one to go to the wedding and meet the lord of Lunaria", the man had black hair with a small tail in the back and was dressed in a dark blue suit and tie.

"Do you think this is wise Miroku?" an elder asked.

"I'm sure I can smoothly handle whoever this lord may be whether he be friend or foe", Miroku smiled assuring the rest of the parliament. The young man politely excused himself from the meeting to make preparations for the trip.

LUNARIA

The castle was fully restored in the past month with a few changes that made it seem lighter and less oppressive then it used to be. Inuyasha's mother Izayoi stuck around for the month getting to know Kagome or as she liked to think, her future daughter in law. Izayoi had also helped her son find someone to replace the late Kaede as head of the kitchen staff. The magical queen had went on a hunt to find the best chefs in the kingdom and ironically the best was already working in the castle right under their noses. Ayame, the girl that was made part wolf, and the woman that General Koga claimed would be his future wife was surprisingly an amazing cook for being an ordinary servant girl. After Inuyasha and Kagome tasted one of her dishes he immediately promoted her to head of the kitchen staff. After that Izayoi left to continue traveling, much to Inuyasha's disappointment, but promised to come back and visit frequently.

"Dammit", Inuyasha swore quietly placing his head on the table in front of him. The rest of the staff of the castle's work shop stared at their lord curiously. A few days ago Lord Inuyasha came into the castle's workshop wanting to use the equipment for a personal project of his. He wouldn't say what it was or who it was for, but it was pretty obvious with the dozens of gold rings scattered on the table.

"Problems your highness?" an old long bearded man said. The elder had large bulbous eyes, tiny horns on his head and hooved feet like a bull's.

"Mister Totosai, now that you mentioned it, yes I am having problems", Inuyasha sighed looking down at the 'failures' as he called them.

"What is it your trying to make you highness?" Totosai asked while Inuyasha took a moment to make sure no one else was listening to their conversation.

"I'm trying to create the perfect ring, it's important", he admitted honestly.

"Couldn't you just use your power to transfigure a spoon into the perfect ring?" The old craftsman questioned scratching his long beard in thought.

"I thought so too, but that's too easy, too simple. The person this ring is for deserves more than just a trinket I waved my fingers to make", Inuyasha said looking at his work. "These aren't good enough, it's needs to be better".

"Tell me your highness, does this person expect perfection from you?" Inuyasha had to think about that for a moment before answering.

"No I doubt she would", he answered.

"Do you think she would want something perfect and gaudy?" the old man asked.

"No", Inuyasha answered waiting to see where Totosai was going with this.

"Then perhaps she would like something imperfect, it would come more from the heart if she could tell you crafted it with feeling instead of aesthetic", the elder craftsman explained with wisdom.

"I see", Inuyasha had moment of realization as he rolled up his sleeves and got to work on something he believed Kagome would like. Totosai walked away to his own work station leaving his lord alone to complete his project.

"Ah, young love", he commented with an amused smile.

"You know he's like a century old right?" one of his assistance said, reminding the old man that Lord Inuyasha wasn't actually as young as he looks.

"Yes, but the concept of love is still new to him", Totosai corrected.

LATER

Inuyasha sat in his office finishing some paperwork and sending the appropriate funds to the workers and their families that helped with the castle reconstruction, he also sent a hefty reward to the blacksmith Marion and his business, a reward for sabotaging the weapons of Naraku's soldiers. Kagome was currently busy helping Ayame reorganize the kitchen staff.

"Your highness, we have a situation", one of the wolf men came into the office with a bow.

"What is it Ginta?" Inuyasha looked up from his desk.

"A messenger from Queensland has arrived with a letter for you", the wolf said, apparently this was the first traveler from another land they had since Kagome came here months ago.

"Send him in", Inuyasha expected people to come here and was prepared for this after he opened the roads in and out of the kingdom. A few minutes later a very nervous and scared looking young messenger came in. He kept glancing around in surprise at everything and everyone.

"Surprising isn't it?" Inuyasha said startling the poor young man.

"Oh! Um forgive your highness, I-I didn't think the stories were true", the messenger stuttered and bowed. He had to pass through the town to get here and was quite shocked to see the fantastical creatures and part human part animal hybrids everywhere.

"I am Prince Inuyasha, Lord of the kingdom of Lunaria and the one who those stories are about", Inuyasha introduced himself with pride. "Now what is this message you have brought with you?" he slipped back into his old persona for a moment to intimidate this lowly messenger.

"Yes your highness, it's an invitation to her majesty Queen Sango's brother's wedding", he got out as fast he could handing him the invitation with another respectful bow. Inuyasha opened it and read the contents.

"A wedding? How…interesting", he said reading between the lines and seeing the true purpose of this invite. He wanted nothing more than to send this invite back to its sender telling this Queen Sango to stuff it, however it provided him with a golden opportunity that he needed right now. One it gave him a chance to visit another land something he had wanted to do for decades, but more importantly Queensland was Kagome's home country where her family lives. This would be the moment he was waiting for, he could take her back home, meet her family and have a question answered that he had been aching to know for a while now.

"Very well I'll except the invitation, tell your queen I'll be arriving a little early though", He waved his hand dismissing the messenger who immediately left eager to return home and tell her majesty Sango of what he'd seen here. Picking up the invitation he thought it would be good to surprise Kagome with it. Heading to the kitchen he walked in on the staff having a meeting and going over what the new methods of cooking and serving will be with Ayame.

"Lord Inuyasha, what a pleasure", Ayame bowed seeing him come in, this was becoming a frequent occurrence with him. Inuyasha had been popping on the staff a lot lately to see what they were doing and establish better relations with the servants, it was a welcome and refreshing change.

"Sorry to bother you, but I need to borrow Kagome for a bit", Inuyasha smiled warmly making all the women in the kitchen blush and sigh. Kagome quickly followed him outside wondering what he needed her for. "Take a walk with me", he said holding out his hand for her to take. The two of them walked the halls holding hands and not caring who saw them. After a few minutes they reached a balcony that overlooked the garden.

"Kagome would you like to go back home?" Inuyasha asked.

"Home, you don't want me here anymore?" Kagome immediately took it the wrong way.

"Don't be ridiculous, I was offering you some time to go visit your family", he replied correcting her. Inuyasha showed her the wedding invitation and explained that he planned on travelling to her home country. "I want you to come with me Kagome, you can see your family again while we attend the celebration".

"Wow, I've never seen Queen Sango before or attended or royal wedding", Kagome was excited about the prospect, she also could see what a great opportunity this was to see her family again and hopefully introduce them to Inuyasha. "Yeah let's go!"

"As you wish my dear, we'll be leaving in three days", Inuyasha smiled at her enthusiasm for this trip.

THREE DAYS LATER

Inuyasha and Kagome stood outside the castle on the large stone road that led into the town bellow. Their bags and cases were packed into a large six wheeled royal carriage. Inuyasha had commissioned Kagura to make Kagome some nice outfits for both of them to wear for their time in Queensland. He may not care for the ruler there, but he still wanted to impress. He was leaving the kingdom for a little over a week in his general Koga's hands, probably one of the few people he could trust. Everything would be fine since the castle was repaired, and the people were happier now that Inuyasha let the skies become clear.

"Where are the horses?" Kagome asked seeing none of them here to pull the carriage.

"Oh we won't be travelling by horse", Inuyasha chuckled his hand glowed a blue color as he pointed it at the carriage. Suddenly four clawed legs extended out of the bottom, the wheels turned into six giant yellow bird wings, and the front of the carriage transformed into two heads resembling the griffins of legend. "We'll be flying there, it's much faster"

"You just want to make a big entrance don't you", Kagome looked at him skeptically, Inuyasha fake coughed to avoid answering her.

"After you milady", he opened the carriage door and took her hand to help her inside the creature. The two of them got comfortable in the re plush seats. "Don't worry, it flies above the clouds so it will be smooth ride from here", just as Inuyasha said that he snapped his fingers and the creature/ carriage took off flapping its six wings. Kagome let out a shriek of surprise as they flew through the air, she held tight to Inuyasha's arm until the kingdom became a spec in the window.

"Wow, we're actually flying", Kagome looked out the window seeing clouds pass by them as they gently sailed through the sky.

"In told you, this way we'll get there much earlier and you can spend more time with your family", he explained sincerely. Kagome thanked him for being so considerate of her feelings and continued to look at the window in amazement.

QUEENSLAND

"Lady Sango, he's back!" Kilala said finding her queen standing on the balcony that allowed her to the ocean in the distance.

"Whose back?" Sango asked not really paying attention.

"The messenger we sent to Lunaria, he's back and says that he has urgent news", Kilala had a weird feeling about all this.

"Send him in", Sango said disinterested turning around from the balcony awaiting the messenger. He soon came in looking anxious and unsure of what he wanted to say.

"Your majesty", the messenger bowed dropping to one knee. "What I have to inform you of may sound strange, but it's the truth", before he could explain what he saw in Lunaria a sound like giant flapping wings and guards yelling came from outside. Sango looked past the balcony to see a large multi-winged two headed creature flying down from the clouds, it's main body looked similar to a horse carriage as it began its descent towards the castle, putting the entire staff on high alert. Sango watched in shock and disbelief as it approached the courtyard in front of the castle's entrance. She immediately made her way down stairs to the entrance with great hurry. When she arrived the creature had already landed, it's legs retracted into the wood, wings morphing into wheels and the two heads melded together forming the front of the carriage. Almost every guard in the castle surrounded the transport weapons drawn expecting an attack. The door opened and out stepped an incredibly handsome young man with long silvery hair, lightly tan skinned and golden yellow eyes dressed in a white button shirt, velvet black vest with silver buttons, matching black pants and shoes, with a black and gray cravat around his neck and a silver ring shaped like the head of a dog on his index finger.

"Is this how you greet all your guests?" Inuyasha asked removing the invitation he received from his vest pocket and showing it to them.

"Stand down all of you!" Sango ordered to her men. Inuyasha finally saw the ruler of Queensland with his own eyes and he was quite impressed by the young woman dressed in a black glittery dress. She looked very beautiful but he could also sense and air of authority around her, as lovely as she was though he still couldn't compare to the adorableness that is Kagome. 'Speaking of her', he reached his hand into the carriage now that it was safe and helped Kagome out like a gentleman.

'Who's that with him?' Sango watched slowly descending the stairs to greet her guests. She saw the woman gently lead out of the carriage by the lord, it was a pretty young lady with black hair combed nicely, wearing a red strapless dress with the back exposed and black frills lining the ends and top, black high heels and a silver band on her wrist. Inuyasha and Kagome approached the Queen, one was nonchalant and cool headed over the whole thing while the other was nervous and scared being in front of the woman of royalty for the first time ever.

"Good evening your majesty", Inuyasha gave a respectful bow, he was in her kingdom after all. Kagome immediately copied his actions not wanting to offend. "I am prince Inuyasha, Lord of the kingdom of Lunaria", he introduced himself and then gestured to his companion. "This is my…companion Kagome Higurashi".

"A pleasure to meet you your majesty", Kagome bowed again. Sango remained silent, focused more on Inuyasha than her, finally after a few moments of awkward silence she spoke.

"My grandmother told me stories about you, I always thought they were just fairy tales", Sango began disbelief in her voice. "But to see the magic prince himself come riding down from the clouds in a winged carriage, now that is something I can't deny".

"Seeing is believing it seems", He responded back with an amused smile.

"It's a pleasure to have you here for my brother's wedding Lord Inuyasha", Sango said politely to her guests. "And you as well Miss Higurashi. Please come inside and my uncouth guards shall get your luggage", she said with a heated glare at her soldiers for pointing there weapons at such an important guest. After showing the two inside and having a servant show them to their room, Inuyasha requested a single room that he and Kagome would share, Sango returned to her personal quarters where Kilala was waiting having watched the whole thing from the background.

"Well, that was certainly exciting", the blonde woman said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. She too was surprised that the prince from the old fable was real and attending the wedding.

"Exciting? How bizarre, insane, or even fantastical!?" Sango yelled pacing the floor. "Of all the things the ruler could have been, those stories were all true, we have an all-powerful magical prince staying in the castle", the queen sounded close to panicking. It was these rare moments that Kilala was glad to be her friend.

"You have to calm down milady, remember he's not here to start trouble, you invited him to attend a wedding right", the blonde assistant reminded her. "He's a guest here and we are trying to show him hospitality and get on his good side right?"

"Yes, that's right", Sango went back to being her normal cool headed self. "We can find out all about his intentions and his mysterious abilities while he's here", the queen said making plans to spy on the magical prince and find out all she can.

WITH THE GUESTS

"So how did I do?" Inuyasha asked Kagome once they were alone in the extravagant guest room they would be staying in for the next few weeks.

"I should be asking you that", Kagome said sitting on the bed putting her hands over her face. Standing in the presence of her majesty Sango and actually speaking to her was one of the most nerve wracking things she ever did.

"I've had practice and training for when I meet another ruler, but I've never put it to use until now", Inuyasha said sitting next to her on the bed.

"Well the transforming flying cart certainly gave everyone a scare, they were all pointing swords and spears at us", Inuyasha just smirked and leaned back to lay on the bed next to where she sat.

"That Sango, she looked like she couldn't believe what she was seeing", Inuyasha chuckled wishing he had a way to capture and preserve little moments like that. He gently ran his hand up her back where her dress didn't cover. "We have a few hours until we have to get ready for dinner".

"Any suggestions?" Kagome asked coyly seeing the look on his face, Inuyasha's smirk widened as he pulled her down to lay on top of him. "Wait! On second thought we can't do this in her majesty's castle", she urged pulling away.

"Why not?" He didn't see the problem with a little lovemaking in the guest bedroom of someone else's castle.

"It's not befitting someone of royal status like you", Kagome argued while Inuyasha sighed in defeat.

"I suppose you're right", Inuyasha rolled her so they were laying on their sides facing each other. "Then let's just lay here until we need to get ready", he said pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her.

"I need to take my dress off or it will get wrinkled", she tried to pull away again.

"You're the one who said we couldn't do it in our host's castle and now you're trying to seduce me?" He said with cheeky grin.

"I just don't want our clothes to get messed up you jerk", Kagome said playfully shoving him and giggled at the look of fake hurt and disappointment on his face.

"We'll just change into something else before dinner", Inuyasha said pulling her back on to the bed with his arms wrapped tight around her waist and his face buried in her soft dark hair. Kagome silently gave in and faced the other side of the room letting him hold her from behind. She eventually fell asleep, having not been able to take a nap the whole way over here. After her eyes closed and her breathing even out, Inuyasha gently took Kagome's hand and interlocked her fingers with his. He kept staring at her ring finger with longing, hoping what he planned would work.

* * *

 **So here's the thing, what I wanted to do for this chapter would be way too long so I'm splitting it up into two chapters. What that means is that this is not the second to last chapter like a wanted, so we have two more chapters to go.**

 **It's pretty obvious what Inuyasha is up to, so I'm not going to spell it out. Also Sango being the queen of Queensland was an idea I had for the sequel I might do later down the road. Jutaria is controlled by a parliament, and that paves a way to put Miroku into this. Also Kilala is Sango's assistant and friend, not a cat in this. Kohaku is still her younger brother, he's the one who is getting married.**

 **Next chapter Inuyasha meets Kagome's family.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	15. Chapter15: The Proposal

**THE PROPOSAL**

"So what is Lunaria like your highness?" Kohaku asked as they ate dinner at a long table along with a few other guests that arrived early. Though everyone's sole focus was on the magic prince halfway down the dining table.

"Well the weather is whatever I want it to be, so right now I'd say it's rather nice and sunny", Inuyasha said taking a sip of his wine.

"Why is it called Lunaria, if you don't mind my asking?" Kohaku's fiancé Shiori asked. Shiori was a seventeen year old girl, the same age as her husband to be and had tan skin and long white fluffy hair. Apparently Sango's kingdom also had no issues with who the royalty marries just like Inuyasha's, Shiori and Kohaku had been best friends for years despite one being the younger brother of the queen and the other being the daughter of a local artist.

"It's because of the moon, on nights the moon always looks big and clear, like it's watching over the whole kingdom", Inuyasha explained ignoring the curious stares he was getting as he ate his dinner gracefully. A servant came and whispered something in Queen Sango's ear that didn't sound too pleasant by how she scowled.

"Well send the pervert in then", she said closing her eyes in an attempt to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. A few minutes later a young man wearing a dark blue suit came waltzing in with a cheery smile on his face.

"Sir Miroku, I had a feeling they would send you of all people to this event", Sango said with distaste.

"Your majesty", Miroku bowed. "I see you still try to deny your unyielding attraction towards me", he grinned playfully at the queen.

"Just sit down", she ordered. Miroku nodded and walked over to the next available seat which happened to be right next to Inuyasha. "I don't believe we've been introduced", he said seeing the unusual guest who he couldn't remember seeing before at any other gala that Queen Sango held.

"This is the Lord of the recently open Lunaria, Prince Inuyasha", Sango introduced her most important guest with a smirk, knowing that she managed to get to him before Miroku's country. "And this is Sir Miroku, former knight and an influential member of Jutaria's controlling house of parliament".

"I am most honored, your highness", Miroku bowed before sitting down next to Inuyasha. "It's a distinct pleasure to sit next to such a man of your status, and his lovely companion", he said spotting Kagome sitting next to Inuyasha and seeing immediately how drawn to each other they were, he was quite perceptive like that. Inuyasha frowned not liking how he glanced at Kagome, but decided to ignore it for now and continue his dinner. Miroku seemed to talk a lot about the goings on in his country, his life and many exploits as a former knight while Inuyasha had yet to speak a word to him, but that didn't seem to bother him.

"It is my understanding that your kingdom has been inaccessible for a long time", Miroku said catching Inuyasha's focus. "As a representative of Jutaria's ruling house of parliament, I would like to extend an offer of alliance between our two countries", he finally revealing the purpose he came here for. Sango sighed at his lack of patience, the fool was always very forward and didn't dance around the important issues. It would probably come back to bite him at some point. Inuyasha was silently fuming at this man's offer, but he reigned in his emotions and carefully formed a retort. Kagome glanced at him worriedly, feeling the anger coming off him in waves.

"A long time ago, King Taisho was poisoned and killed by someone he thought was an ally, leaving his son the prince to take charge of the country", Inuyasha began keeping his voice low. "The kingdom was under attack by rebel invaders and when the prince asked for help from the neighboring country of Jutaria, whom the king sent help to when they were dealing with the band of seven threat, no answer came, no help came and the prince was left to fight off the invaders alone", he said with anger in his tone.

"Well that was a long time ago, before you and I were born", Miroku tried to defend.

"Why should I ally myself with a country that refused to lend me aid when I needed it the most, my father sacrificed good men to help your ancestors and your people practically spat on their graves with their cowardice", Inuyasha hissed turning away from.

"You sound like you were there?" Miroku was confused by the amount of anger and disdain he held for his country.

"I was there, I am that prince and King Taisho was my father", Inuyasha said with dignity.

"But that's impossible, that would mean that", he was interrupted when Inuyasha glared at him.

"The stories are true, that's what it means right?", Inuyasha could have smirked seeing his skeptical face, so to prove it he transfigured the silverware in Miroku's hand into a long green serpent that he immediately dropped and it slithered away making everyone at the table gasp in surprise. Sango was carefully observing the whole thing trying to figure out how his power worked, to see if it was activated by a spell or perhaps a hand sign.

"My god", Miroku was actually stunned and unsure of what to say for the first time in a long time.

"My goddess actually", Inuyasha stated taking a sip of his wine. Dinner continued in an awkward silence, after dessert everyone departed the dining hall back to their rooms except for Miroku who was told to stay behind by Sango.

"Must you offend somebody who you just met, that has to be record", Sango scolded him. "Lord Inuyasha doesn't even know you and yet he doesn't like you already", she chuckled walking down the table to sit next to him.

"You knew who he really was didn't you?" Miroku asked seeing the amused smirk on her face.

"Yes, I realized it when he arrived early today on a flying carriage, I just wanted to see the look on your face when you found out", Sango smiled and gave him a quick kiss in the cheek as an apology.

"How long must we keep our relationship a secret?" Miroku sighed leaning back in his chair.

"I told you, after my brother gets married and all the excitement dies down. Kohaku's been pushed to the background his whole life in favor of me, he deserves the spot light and a little attention for once", she smiled holding her secret lover's hand.

"It's still bothersome to not be open with our relationship and resort to meeting in secret like this", he said with disappointed look.

"For now we should focus on getting to know Lord Inuyasha and finding out if he's a good man that can be trusted and relied on", Sango told him squeezing his hand one last time before letting go and leaving the dining hall.

TWO DAYS LATER

"Have you anything new to report Kilala?" Sango asked sitting in her office.

"Not much your majesty, it's very difficult to get a read Lord Inuyasha's personality", the blonde woman explained. Kilala volunteered for the task of spying on the magic prince and find out about his powers and what he was like as a man.

"How so?" the queen inquired.

"Well he acts all stoic and calm around everyone, however when he is alone with that Kagome woman he acts completely different. He's more open with her almost like", Kilala wasn't sure how to put this.

"She's his lover", Sango said for her. "Are you sure?" Kilala blushed when she recalled last night when she so desperate for information that she snuck into the guest room while they were sleeping. She only got a few steps when she spotted the couple laying on the bed together. Kilala's face had turned bright red as her eyes travelled along the shirtless Inuyasha that currently held the half-naked Kagome in his arms tight to his chest. She quickly left before she was caught without making peep.

"Yes I'm sure", Kilala said covering her flush cheeks.

"Where is he now?" Sango asked.

"He went to the port city and I believe he took Kagome with him", Kilala responded.

"Did he take any guards or escorts?" Sango looked confused that he wanted to visit one of her towns.

"No, I offered, but he said he wouldn't be needing any", Kilala smiled knowing how right he probably was. Later during the day Kagome was leading Inuyasha through her home town, it was a large port city that bordered on the south sea.

"I've never seen a town like this", Inuyasha commented looking around at the busy streets and citizens. Every now and then someone would stop and stare at him, it was hard not to when you saw a handsome well-dressed man walking down the street with such an unusual hair and eye color.

Misses Higurashi was busy preparing the kitchen for dinner for her father and son. It had been several months since she had heard from her daughter Kagome. The last letter she received was from Jutaria, and it said that her oldest child was on to something and was headed north. That had been quite a while ago and she grew more worried each day, not that she showed it. Misses Higurashi knew Kagome was strong, smart and old enough to take care of herself, but there was no telling what she would find in the mysterious northern lands beyond the borders of Jutaria. She also understood why she wanted to finish her husband's book, Kagome loved her father dearly and finishing his last written work would give her some closure. Just as she was thinking about this the doorbell rang, Sota was at a friend's house and her dad was busy upstairs so she went to answer it.

"Hello", she said politely opening the door. Her eyes widened seeing her daughter Kagome standing there wearing a yellow and beige short sleeve sundress, looking completely and totally fine, better than fine actually.

"Hi mom, I'm back", Kagome smiled seeing her mother again for the first time in months.

"Kagome!" She exclaimed pulling her daughter in for a hug. "I missed you, I'm glad you're alright".

"I'm fine mom", Kagome said. "I just thought I'd come back for a visit", Inuyasha scoffed at that behind her since it was his idea to come here for the wedding and bring Kagome so she could see her family again.

"Mom I'd like you to meet someone", Kagome stepped aside revealing a handsome young man that looked to be barely twenty years old with long silvery hair, golden eyes, wearing a white button up shirt, black pinstripe vest and pants.

"Who's this young man?" Misses Higurashi asked carefully examining this gentleman.

"This is Prince Inuyasha, Lord of the kingdom of Lunaria", Kagome introduced.

"Your highness", her mother bowed, she didn't know who this Inuyasha was, but if he was royalty and a friend of her daughter then she would show him the proper respect.

"Good evening mam", Inuyasha said walking past them into the house. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he looked around at the rather large house. "You have a lovely home", he finally spoke after a moment of silence.

"Thank you, um Kagome you haven't said who he is to you yet", Misses Higurashi said looking at her daughter curiously while starting to piece together what was going on.

"Well mom, you know that story from the north about the magical prince, the one that dad never finished?" Kagome said rubbing the back of her head unsure how to put this. "Inuyasha is the same magical prince from that story, he's real mom", her mother looked skeptical at that so Inuyasha decided to go ahead and prove it. With a nod from Kagome he grabbed a pen from the coffee table and the two women watched as the pen turned into a rose in an instant.

"Do this prove it?" Inuyasha asked putting the rose in a nearby empty vase.

"Yes, but that still doesn't answer my question on who you are to Kagome, your highness?" Misses Higurashi asked. Just then Kagome's grandfather walked down the stairs and her little brother came in through the back door.

"If you must know mam, Kagome is my personal assistant as well as my lover", he said with complete honesty. Kagome blushed completely embarrassed and thinking it couldn't get any worse than this.

"Um", it just got worse when she noticed her brother Sota standing in the hall and grandfather at the bottom of the stairs, both with wide eyes from the shock of Inuyasha's declaration. Kagome looked from her equally shocked mother to the rest of her family.

"Welcome to the family", Misses Higurashi said after the awkward silence.

"You disappear for months Kagome and return with a man", the old man chastised his granddaughter.

"He looks pretty cool to me", her little brother said looking up at the tall silver haired man.

"Oh my god", Kagome covered her face from even more embarrassment.

"So how did you two meet?" Misses Higurashi asked leading them into the dining room.

"She trespassed on my kingdom", Inuyasha said dryly.

"I didn't know you were even real at the time", Kagome defended. She then explained to her family how she ended up as his servant and how they came to be such intimate companions, leaving out all the lewd details of course.

"Does he really have magical powers?" Sota asked with wonder in his eyes. Inuyasha sighed at having to prove this once again before turning his cup into a stack of gold coins which he handed to the boy to do whatever he wanted with them. "That's so cool!" Inuyasha smiled warmly at that, it had been a long time since anyone was so impressed by such the simplest display of his power.

"What demonic sorcery is this!?" the grandfather yelled grabbing one of the coins to make sure it was real and dropping it like it was on fire.

"Dad, that's not nice", Misses Higurashi scolded him for his offensive tone. "You'll have to excuse my father he's very religious".

"It's fine, a late friend of mine was the head of the church back home, so I have nothing against people with religious beliefs", Inuyasha said nonchalantly.

"Can't you all see that this is witchcraft, he's a demon!?" The old man argued with a wrinkled frown. "I will not have a practitioner of black magic in this house", Kagome was angry that he would claim such a thing and was about to stand up and give him a piece of her mind, but Inuyasha's gentle hand on her wrist stopped her.

"I'll have you know sir that my power is not black magic as you call it. I was born with this ability, just as my mother was born with hers. Our power was bestowed upon us thanks to the selfless devotion of our ancestors to the heavenly maiden of the moon, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't go making such stereotypical assumptions that I've made some sort of bargain with a demon for power", Inuyasha explained rather calmly using the royal demeanor his father ingrained into him as a teenager. Kagome was proud that he was reigning in his temper, as his personal servant she had seen him get pissed at lesser things than this.

"Dad, you should apologize to our guest", Kagome's mother said disapproving of his words.

"I will not apologize to some youngster who wields magic like a toy", the old man said stubbornly.

"I'll have you know that I'm over a century old, so who's the real youngster?", Inuyasha shot back with an arrogant smirk.

"Ah man, I thought you were cool, but your even older than gramps", Sota whined disappointed that his new idle was really old.

"I may be over a hundred, but my physical appearance and body doesn't age because of my vast power", He said to the boy not liking being called old.

"That's true, and he doesn't even act old", Kagome defended with him.

"Are you trying to say I'm immature?" Inuyasha snapped at her.

"Oh no, you certainly don't act childish", Kagome said sarcastically. Inuyasha decided to let that slide while Misses Higurashi smiled at how much like a couple they acted. Over the next few days, they continued to pay visits to the Higurashi home where Inuyasha got a chance to know Kagome's family. He even managed to get her pious grandfather to see some reason and showed him that he wasn't a demon like the old man claimed he was. Sota was practically obsessed with Inuyasha like he was some sort of hero, he kept asking questions and followed the prince around with an awed look on his face as if waiting for Inuyasha to do something amazing again.

On the third day they ran into some of Kagome's friends, the girls fawned over Inuyasha and told Kagome how lucky she was to have such a cute man. The other friend was a boy named Hojo that was completely oblivious to the relationship between the lord and Kagome, even going so far as to openly flirt with her in front of him. Inuyasha took care of him by threatening to turn him into a giant slug which had the foolish boy bowing at the other's feet and then running away in fear. It was on the fourth day that Kagome decided to show Inuyasha something he'd never seen before, the sea.

"I've never seen the sea before, only pictures in books and paintings", Inuyasha said getting out the carriage.

"You'll love it", Kagome said grabbing his hand and leading him to the sandy beach. Inuyasha was almost immediately transfixed by the sight of endless sapphire blue waters and waves that continuously crashed against the sand.

"So this is the southern sea", he said wide eyed taking a step towards the water. "It's more beautiful than I imagined", his voice sounded so awed by what he was looking at that Kagome's heart warmed a little at being able to give him something like this. There was something poetic about this, for Kagome she'd grown up in this port city and had seen the sea her whole life, but for him it was an entirely new experience.

"Thank you Kagome", Inuyasha said softly after a moment of silence. The two of them spent the next hour just taking in the view and exploring the beach while Kagome talked about some fun times at the beach she had with her friends and family. Eventually they sat down on the sands and just watched the water roll in and out. Inuyasha had taken off his vest and shoes, rolled up his white sleeves and unbuttoned his white shirt enough to show his solid pectorals. Kagome sat with him wearing an off white, slightly pinkish, sundress with her open toed sandals and straw hat.

"Kagome, I have something I want to ask you", Inuyasha said as the wind tossed his hair back.

"What is it?" Kagome asked watching him pull something out of his pocket and keep it hidden in his closed fist.

"Just close your eyes for a second", he told her. Kagome did as he asked and shut her eye lids, she felt him gently touch her hand and slip something on her finger. "Open your eyes", when she opened her eyes Inuyasha was blushing and looking away slightly, on her hand she noticed a ring was on her finger. It looked a little worn and scratched in a few spots with some sort of rune symbols carved along the gold band, but the most prominent feature was the circular shaped jewel on top that looked to be almost glowing a blueish white.

"This ring…", Kagome stared at it.

"I made it myself, I didn't use my power though", Inuyasha said still looking away a little embarrassed.

"Why not?" she asked looking at him, Inuyasha met her gaze as he spoke.

"Because that would be too easy, you deserve more than that. I hand crafted this ring as a symbol of my love for you Kagome. The only magic I added was to the stone to make it glow like that", Inuyasha whispered while Kagome started tearing up. The ring was so obviously hand crafted, but not by an expert, instead by someone that loved her and knew what she would like.

"What are these symbols?" Kagome questioned examining the strange signs carved into the gold band.

"It's the ancient language of my father's ancestors. It says 'I can change almost anything, but you are the one thing I would never change", he said with fire in his eyes. Kagome finally let loose her tears after hearing his explanation.

"What does this mean?" Kagome looked at him expectantly.

"I figured it would be self-explanatory, but I'll just come out and say it", Inuyasha took both her hands in his own. "Will you be my wife Kagome?"

"Your wife" Kagome was stunned by his proposal. She figured he would one day ask her this, but she didn't expect it to be this soon. She thought about what being his wife would entail and spending her whole life with him. Kagome wanted so badly to accept this and say yes, however.

"Inuyasha, I'm not sure I can accept this", Inuyasha's face suddenly turned sad.

"I see, so your saying no", the look on his face was too heart breaking.

"You didn't let me finish, I was going to say I can't accept this, not yet at least", Kagome said and suddenly Inuyasha turned to look at her with new hope in his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to get married to you, it's just I don't think I'm ready yet. Give me some time to get used to this idea and I'll have a better answer for you"

"I…understand", Inuyasha said standing up, he offered a hand to help her up off the ground. "I waited decades until I found someone that understands me, I can wait however long you need", he smiled at her.

"Thank you for understanding", Kagome smiled back at him giving Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek. She was about to take the ring off when a hand stopped her.

"Keep it", Inuyasha said rubbing his thumb along her palm.

The rest of the trip went well. They stayed for Kohaku and Shiori's wedding, congratulated the new royal couple and left. Sango came forward and apologized for having her assistant spy on him which Inuyasha respected for her honesty and wise caution. He gracefully accepted her apology as well as her offer of an alliance between there kingdoms, they even signed a document which would allow traders and travelers into each other's lands. It took a lot of coercing, but Miroku was able to convince Inuyasha to at least meet with the parliament of Jutaria so they could formerly apologize for the mistakes of their ancestors and maybe establish an alliance with them.

After they left the castle Inuyasha and Kagome made one more stop at her family's home to say goodbye and tell them she would continue to stay in Lunaria with Inuyasha. Her mother was sad that her daughter was moving out, but happy that she found a man that she loved. Inuyasha promised them all that he would give Kagome as many holidays as she wanted to come back for a visit. After that the family was treated to the sight of Inuyasha's carriage turning into a two headed multi winged creature that carried the two of them back to Lunaria.

Inuyasha smiled when he looked out the window of the flying carriage and saw his kingdom down below. Kagome said she need time to accept the idea of getting married to him. What she didn't realize was that what she wanted was actually the same thing as a courting period that is still practiced in royal households today. He would give her as much time as she needed, but during that time Inuyasha would prove how much he loved and wanted her.

'I'll show you Kagome, how important you are to me', he thought as he turned his gaze to the sleeping woman that rested against his shoulder.

* * *

 **We're almost to the end, just one more chapter to go. Which I will have up hopefully this week. I'm really busy this week, so if not Friday then Sunday for sure.**

 **Kagome didn't say yes to his proposal, bet you all didn't see that coming. She will though, she just thinks she's not ready. It took the whole damn original series for them to get together, with years of us fans shouting 'kiss already' at our screens, so what's one more chapter to wait?**

 **Also Kohaku was getting married to Shiori. She was always one of my favorite filler characters. Miroku is a former knight that is now a member of Jutaria's parliament. The whole secret love affair between him and Sango is the opening for the eventual sequel to this I might one day do called 'Wrath of The Doll Maker", I'll let you all wonder what that could be about.**

 **Thank you for reading and to all those who stuck with this crazy story.**


	16. Chapter16: The End

**THE END**

As it turns out Inuyasha didn't have to wait as long as he thought. One year later after he proposed to Kagome she came to him and said she was ready, that seeing him almost die recently at the hands of the Doll Maker made he realize that she couldn't live without him.

The wedding was a huge event for the kingdom. Inuyasha actually had to transfigure the church to make it large enough to hold everyone. Queen Sango and her family were invited to the wedding, unfortunately the Queen also brought along Miroku as her escort even though he wasn't invited. Kagome's family also came to the wedding and got to finally see what Inuyasha's kingdom looked like. All the quests were terrified at first by all the strange people transfigured into hybrids and other creatures, but eventually warmed up to them when they got to know them better. Miroku being a former knight ended up becoming friends with General Koga and Kagome's brother Sota found a friend in the fox boy Shippou. Kagome's mother got to know Inuyasha's mother Izayoi, the two of them becoming close as they told stories of their life and children.

During the wedding Kagome was so nervous, after she found out how many people would be attending the ceremony she was worried about being the center of attention for such a large crowd. Ayame who helped plan the wedding along with the flower girl Rin both gave her some reassuring words that helped her go through with the wedding with utter confidence. She did her best, but wasn't sure how Inuyasha could do this so calmly, however when she finally reached the alter and looked into his eyes she saw how Inuyasha was just as nervous and excited as she was despite his calm demeanor. Inuyasha's best man Koga gave her a quick wink that told her that Inuyasha also needed words of assurance before the ceremony and she smiled at how much alike they were in this. After the two of them were joined they continued to the after party where they danced and cut the giant cake in front of everyone. After that Inuyasha took Kagome back to the castle carrying his wife in his arms to the bedroom of their personal wing. They spent the entire night and most of the next day consummating their union. They had already made love many times before that night, but now that they were official married it was more passionate than ever before.

Once Kagome was now official the Queen Inuyasha decided to give her some official duties to handle. He didn't want to overwhelm her so he ended up putting her along with her new personal assistant Rin in charge of the entire castle and staff while he would continue to handle the affairs of the kingdom and any major decisions would be discussed between them. It certainly took some pressure off of Inuyasha which made his attitude lighter and mellower. Izayoi would laugh and say that's exactly how her husband was after she got married to him and that's what having a woman does to men.

Six months later another big wedding took place. This time it was General Koga, commander of the wolf army marrying the wolf girl Ayame the head of the kitchen staff. Their wedding wasn't as big as the new King and Queens, but Inuyasha spared no expense for his friend. After the wedding he gave the new couple a week off to enjoy themselves.

It was one year after Inuyasha and Kagome got married that something amazing happened that hasn't happened in Lunaria in about a century. A child was born of the reigning King and Queen. Kagome gave birth to their first son which Inuyasha named Sesshomaru after his grandfather. The boy was born with Inuyasha's silvery hair and golden eyes that were narrower than his own, much like how Inuyasha's father looked ne noted. One of the interesting things about the boy was that the moon's kiss, the symbol that appeared on every child of the moon, appeared in the center of his forehead as a blue crescent moon. It wasn't till Sesshomaru reached age five that his magical ability finally manifested. The boy had the power to manipulate temperature, create and control fire or create and control ice. As he grew older he would favor his power over ice more and when Inuyasha asked Sesshomaru the boy replied with a regal calm expression that fire was to destructive and chaotic which made his father proud.

Sesshomaru grew up as a very curious yet somewhat arrogant personality that he inherited from both his parents. One thing Inuyasha thought was cute was how his son would come into the throne room when he was little in the mornings, when Inuyasha liked to enjoy his breakfast and tea and watch the early morning sun over the kingdom, Sesshomaru would come in and sit on his father's lap and watch over the kingdom with him. Inuyasha would talk to him and tell the boy stories of his hundred year reign. It was those times that they really bonded as father and son.

Inuyasha and Izayoi helped Sesshomaru understand his power as well as train him to properly control it. They discovered that his power over temperature was tied with his emotional state. When he was angry or mad, the temperature around him would increase, when he was absolutely furious he would literally spit fire, when he was calm and collected he could properly create and manipulate ice. This discovery led Sesshomaru to don a seemingly emotionless and icy demeanor throughout his teenage years, only showing his emotions to his mother whom he cared for greatly and his father whom he looked up to and respected above all.

A year after Sesshomaru was born Kagome and Inuyasha had another son together they named Zangetsu. The reason for his name was because the moon's kiss appeared on his chest directly over his heart, but the crescent moon was red and broken in half which everyone thought was odd. His power became revealed the very day after his birth. Kagome went to the crib to check on her new baby boy, however there was no baby in the crib. She freaked out and immediately called Inuyasha who then had all the alarms raised sending out every soldier in search for his missing son. Kagome was in tears when the searches came up empty while Inuyasha vowed a slow and painful death to whoever took his second born son. However the sound of a baby's cry had them running back to the nursery where they found their boy Zangetsu crying back in his crib like he never left. Upon further investigation they found the boy's power was the ability to turn himself completely invisible. It was a nightmare for Kagome having her son disappear before her eyes randomly.

Zangetsu looked like a mini Inuyasha when he was a child, but unlike Inuyasha he was very shy and guarded, often using his power to disappear from uncomfortable situations and hide during festivals or events. The only friend the boy has was his one year older brother Sesshomaru who would look after and protect his little brother while Zangetsu followed him around like his little sidekick. Sesshomaru was actually the only person who could find him when he turned invisible, he used his power over the cold to create an icy mist that blanketed an area and revealed the shape of his little brother. The only other person that he enjoyed being around was the rabbit girl that was in charge of the library Kanna. The girl's quiet company matched perfectly with Zangetsu's quiet and timid behavior.

Izayoi had a theory that reason for the severed moon symbol on his chest was because of his unique and rare power was completely unheard of in all the children of the moon that she knew of. The moon goddess doesn't conceal or hide itself so perhaps another god or goddess gave the child their blessing along with the moon. Inuyasha and Kagome seemed to be the only one who could get Zangetsu to come out of his shell and get the boy to have fun.

The third child they had two years after Zangetsu was a girl that Kagome named Asuka. Unlike the two boys who looked like Inuyasha, Asuka looked almost exactly like Kagome except for the golden eyes that she got from her father. The moon's kiss appeared on the back of her right hand as an indigo crescent moon. Her power didn't manifest until she was six years around the time her mother noticed how all her toys seemed to disappear and constantly be found around the castle in random locations. Asuka had the power to make things disappear in an instant and reappear in any location.

She was such a cute albeit temperamental girl, but later when she got a little older she became friends with the now nineteen year-old Shippou whose habit of still playing pranks on people rubbed off on her. Asuka would then go around using her power to shift things, as her father and grandmother called it, to play pranks on the staff and any other kids who were mean to her. At any day at any time, she would either sneak up and poke them from behind and send them into a pond or mud puddle, or shift a bucket of paint to spill on their heads while they walked somewhere. Inuyasha loved his daughter deeply, but he still had to discipline her for her abuse of her power. Unfortunately she had an attitude problem to boot and it took a tearful conversation from her mother Kagome to get her to start cleaning up her act at age fifteen and start acting like the princess she was supposed to be.

When Sesshomaru reached the age of seventeen his father Inuyasha started getting him ready to take over the kingdom as the next Lord. He ended up hiring a tiny old man named Jaken, who was transfigured to look like a big eyed toad with a beak as a punishment for trying to steal food from markets and was caught and brought to him multiple times, to be the boys personal servant as a little test to see what use Sesshomaru would put a former criminal to. Surprisingly Sesshomaru kept the little toad in line and not once did the creature commit a crime ever again, in fact he seemed to worship the young Sesshomaru like a god and begged to stay on as the boy's servant so Inuyasha let him.

Zangetsu was trained to be his older brother's second in command and in charge of information which was perfect for him. Koga and Ayame had a son named Sosuke a year after Sesshomaru was born who Koga planned on training to be the next general of the wolf soldiers. Kagome and Inuyasha's daughter Asuka said she wanted to be an ambassador to other kingdoms and countries which would suit her fine. As she grew into a beautiful young teenage girl her powers advanced so much to the point that she could shift herself and other people across great distances even goings as far as to other kingdoms which she planned on using for her future duties.

Kagome hardly ever aged once she reached twenty one, roughly the same age that Inuyasha appeared to be. Izayoi told her that after consummating their union so many times and her giving birth to at least three children of the moon, which until then was unheard of, that Kagome had sort of become ageless like Inuyasha. They weren't immortal, but they could live a very long time and remain the same much like their children, another gift from the moon goddess they suspected.

Eventually the day finally came when Sesshomaru reached the age of twenty one that Inuyasha handed over the title of lord as well as control of the kingdom to his son. Throughout the coronation Sesshomaru remained stone faced and aloof during the whole thing, but when the family had their own private dinner together Sesshomaru actually smiled and hugged his father, eternally grateful for the wonderful life he'd given him as well as the chance to make him proud. Inuyasha told him that he would always be proud of him no matter what, that he was proud of what all his children have and will become.

Inuyasha and Kagome waited a few more years until their other children were old enough to start their adult lives and when they were sure that Zangetsu and Asuka were ready they decided to leave the kingdom. When asked why by their kids Inuyasha told them that they don't need the former king around anymore and that the kingdom was theirs to run as they wish. Inuyasha said that he wanted to travel and see the world that he never got to experience along with Kagome. Sesshomaru, Zangetsu and Asuka were sad, but they understood. Though they didn't let their parents leave without promising to come back and visit for every birthday holiday and event which Kagome and Inuyasha accepted. The couple travelled all across the world for years seeing as many sights and exploring as many lands as possible, they went from celebrities, to stories, and eventually became a legend of a beautiful and magical man along with his equally lovely wife that would roam the world meeting people and going on adventures for decades.

 _The Magic Prince_

 _There once was a king who was adored and respected by all in his lands. He ruled his people fairly and with compassion for all. One day the king fell in love with a lovely and kind travelling sorceress. The woman was as powerful as she was beautiful, and after they were married the people learned to adore her as much as the king. A couple of years later the king and queen had their first and only child, a beautiful boy that would become the prince of the kingdom._

 _As the baby became a child it was discovered that due to his mother being an extremely powerful sorceress, he too possessed a unique and powerful ability that dwarfed hers in comparison. The child could alter things around him into whatever he wanted. At first the prince's power only effected inanimate objects, but was still considered amazing. He could turn a pen into a fork, or a sword into a feather and his power grew every year. When the prince became a teenager his powers blossomed and he discovered that his abilities could effect and alter living things as well; plants animals, and even people, he could alter them all to whatever he wanted, like an artist with a wad of clay. With his creativity and vast imagination he learned how to alter people to where he could improve upon their features and make them beautiful. Soon hundreds of people flocked to the kingdom to visit and have the magical prince make them into beautiful works of art; nobles were the first, and then commoners and soon the rest of the people followed._

 _But all was not well when the prince reached adulthood. It was at this time that the king had fallen ill with a terrible disease that even the queen's magic couldn't fix, and with his dying breath the king told his son to look after the kingdom and make the people happy. So that's what the prince did, whoever came to the castle wanting to be bestowed with his power and made to look lovely, he would grant it to them, molding the men, women, children and even the trees and flowers in the land into ecstatic beauty._

 _However as the years passed the prince started to grow bitter from all the selfish people coming to him wanting beauty bestowed on to them, and it wasn't long before their greed and vanity began to generally disgust him to the point where he stopped granting their requests. The people were shocked that the once happy and generous prince had become cold and indifferent to their requests to be changed. It got to the point where they would beg on their knees to have the prince make them beautiful, but the prince was so repulsed and fed up with these people that instead of making them lovely, he transfigured them into horrible, disgusting and nightmarish beasts. The people were shocked by the ugly monsters they were turned into and begged the prince to change them back, but he consistently refused. It wasn't just them, but even the forests and lands were transformed into twisted nightmarish visions, a reflection of the prince's hatred and anguish._

 _So the people went about their daily lives in the kingdom as horrific beasts and monsters, never truly learning their lesson. The prince remained in solitude and seclusion in the castle, no one never came to him anymore for requests to be magically altered after what he turned the people into, and even his mother had left him after he refused to undo this supposed punishment on the citizens. The prince was completely alone and his bitterness, his disdain for the people in this world and everything beautiful grew even more._

 _Five years later the people having believed they suffered enough came to the prince, whom no one had seen for all those years, to see if his heart had changed for the better. They dragged their writhing and horrifically distorted bodies up the steps of the castle and requested an audience with the prince. The beast-like people were led into the court yard where the prince stood on the balcony clad in a black hooded cloak and bandages covering his face leaving only his yellow eyes staring down at them. They begged the magically gifted prince to change them back to what they once were, but the prince made a deal with his people instead. He would change them back to their normal forms they had before he ever altered them in exchange for the years of servitude under him. The people having no better option agreed and began their lives in service of their overlord and like he promised every year he would slowly reverse the transformations little by little for their work. No one ever saw the prince's face for he always kept it hidden, it was rumored that he used his powers on his own appearance, but as for why he kept what he looked like secret was a mystery and it remained that way for many years._

 _Until one fateful day, after nearly a hundred years a beautiful travelling young woman came to the kingdom from a distant land. She had heard the ancient story and wanted to find the prince. Not because she wanted to be transfigured, she just wanted to know him, know what he was like. At first the prince was confused, thinking she was just like all the other people he disliked so he forced her to be his servant, but didn't use his power on her for he had grown quite weary of transfiguring people into creatures._

 _Over time the young woman's curious nature got the prince to open up and slowly little by little she was able to warm his icy heart. The prince began to grow attached to the girl and eventually he took off his hood and mask showing her his face something he kept hidden because he secretly felt ashamed for what he done to his people. The girl reawakened a lot of emotions and feelings that the prince had long since forgotten and the two of them started to fall in love. The prince who had once despised the world and the people in it for their selfishness and cursed the entire kingdom, turned the people back to the way they were and brought the kingdom back into the light after an age of cold darkness._

 _As for the girl, she too fell hard in love for the prince. In her eyes she saw a sad broken soul that she wanted to fix and see him smile. The two of them married and had three beautiful and strong children whom they loved and cared for more than anything._

"Inuyasha what are you doing?" Kagome asked curiously, she walked into their bedroom and saw Inuyasha sitting at the table writing in her father's the book of folk tales that she had yet to finish. She held their recently born daughter Asuka, their third child.

"Just finishing your story for you", Inuyasha smiled over at her.

"Don't you mean your story?" She smiled back at him.

"It's our story now. I noticed you hadn't filled in the rest, so I took the liberty of finishing it, what do you think?" he showed her what he had written.

"I like it, it just needs a proper ending", Kagome gently handed Asuka over to her husband who held the baby girl close and stroked her hair. She took his pen and wrote an ending that suited them perfectly. "How's that?"

"I like it, it's simple but fitting", Inuyasha said reading the last sentence one more time and sealing Kagome's mouth with a kiss.

 _And the all lived happily ever after._

 **THE END**

 **Well that's it for now until the sequel which would take place in the year before they got married. I must say I really enjoyed writing this little experimental story. Sequel probably won't be for quite some time, I want to focus on other stories for a bit before starting something new.**

 **Look at that I was able to fit Sesshomaru into this story after all. So he's Inuyasha's first son and his power is fire and ice. The second son Zangetsu, I'm a huge Bleach fan and I love that name by the way 'Slaying Moon', how awesome is that? His power is invisibility and he has a severed crescent moon on his chest. Asuka, another name I like, is the third child, her power is basically teleporting things. Koga and Ayame also had a kid named Sosuke.**

 **So I would like to thank all of you who followed, favorited, reviewed and even read the story. Also to Compucles, thanks for the idea, I already planned on doing what you said several chapters ago, but thanks for reminding me of it.**

 **Thanks again I hope everyone enjoyed the story. Let me know what you thought of it.**


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